Of Mutants and Madmen
by Dark Shroud
Summary: Have you ever looked into the eyes of a madman. You see him as a monster, cold hearted and hated. A being that doesn't deserve to live. But what if he was your only hope to survive. Please R&R CH 11 UP!
1. Default Chapter

Author's Notes: This Story focuses on Rogue and an OC I created, but that does not mean that this story has Romance between Rogue and my OC. Unless that is what people want. I kind of doubt that.

Anyway, I'm raving. I created this story to test out a few OCs. Please tell me what you think of them. The first few chapters will focus on my main OC and the rest will come in later. Please enjoy

Disclaimer: I do not own anything from X-Men Evolution. I don't own any money for that matter, so suing me would get you nothing anyway.

Below is a better summary of my story.

The X-Men take in a young mutant with a dark past. He is known only as Nightmare. His life has been full of pain and bloodshed. Now he hopes to do good in his life. At the institute he befriends the mutant known only as Rogue. He learns her secrets and knows the truth about her. However the past of the young mutant soon catches up with him. The X-Men find themselves in a battle with a group of killers, all unique, and very intelligent.

To make matters worse Trask has returned with a plot to destroy the X-Men. It is now up to Rogue and Nightmare to stop Trask's plan, and battle the group of killers. It's an all out war between good and evil. Who will be the victor?

Now enjoy my story

They say that I am none other than a madman locked away in a cell. I am nothing more than an animal that needs to be put down. But they don't know. They don't understand.

With my blood stained hands, I ended the lives of the cruel and the wicked. Their screams were nothing to me. The glorious taste of death is still present in my mind.

I have done terrible things. My brain is tainted with the people I have hurt, but I must redeem myself. I must hold on to the last piece of humanity I have left.

And soon I will be free of these walls.

Rogue watched the many people move by her as she sifted through her locker. It had been a long day at school and with out a doubt it was only going to get longer. She wished it would go by quickly, but she knew that it would be unlikely.

When she finally grabbed the books she needed she stuffed them into her bag, but she did not leave for class quite yet. She stood by her locker and waited. It didn't matter if she was late for class. All she wanted was to catch a quick glimpse of him.

The mutant known as Remy had moved to the institute a short time after the defeat of Apocalypse. The metal hulk, Piotr accompanied him, during his arrival.

As was suspected, Magneto was not at all happy about loosing two of his strongest team members, but strangely enough, he did not deny them to leave.

During the short time that Remy joined the X-Men, Rogue had developed a crush on him. However she was afraid to let him know. But today was going to be different.

The High School had arranged a dance that was coming up in a week. Rogue had debated it for quite some time and finally made a decision. She was going to ask Remy to the dance.

The Goth stood in wait for the former thief to make himself present. She was very nervous. She never really asked a person out before.

As she stood a familiar voice came from her side.

"Like, aren't you suppose to be getting to class?"

Rogue turned and saw Kitty Pride standing next to her. She had on her usual smile as if she thought the whole world was wonderful. Poor girl was always in denial.

"So what are you waiting for," she asked the Goth as the two watched the river of students flow passed them.

"You know who Ah'm waiting for," Rogue stated.

Kitty was the only person at the instituted who knew about Rogue's crush on Remy. Rogue had to pretty much threaten her within an inch of her life to get her to not tell anyone.

Of course that did not mean the prep still didn't tease Rogue about it. Luckily she wasn't planing on doing that today. She could see how nervous the Goth was.

"Rogue, calmed down," she said trying to put her pale friend at ease.

"Ah can't," Rogue claimed. "Ah've never done something like this before. Ah don't know why Ah'm even bothering to ask him out. Ah won't be able to touch him at all. Why would he want to be with a person he can't even lay his hands on?"

"Just relax," Kitty said. "I don't think he cares if you can touch him, or not. Everything will be fine. Just keep your cool and it should go by well."

Rogue took a deep breath and said, "Ah'll try."

"He's a monster," the doctor said as Professor Xavier and Ororo sat in his office. "A pure psychopathic patient. He's such a rare breed of it though, I've never seen a madman quite like him before."

Charles Xavier listened to the man as he spoke. He had been talking to Dr. Philips, the head of the Bayeville Psychiatric Hospital, for about an hour now. He wanted to make sure he received all the details about the patient he had been keeping an eye on.

About three weeks ago, while on Cerebro he had detected a form of mutant that he had never seen before. When doing a DNA check he had found that this mutant did not have the typical X-gene within it. There was something else that was different about him.

After searching for him he discovered that he was in the high security ward of this very hospital he was in now.

He had mentioned this mutant to his students, and they did not seem very satisfied when Charles suggested they put him under his care.

However he had come to this Hospital a few times to discuss the terms of the young mans transfer to the Institute. And every time Charles was there he looked within the mutant's mind. He could not see much, but he could sense a sign of gentleness within his mind. But strangely he never saw the boy once.

Also he assumed the young man could be trusted because of the reason he was convicted.

This mutant was a vigilante. He only killed murders, rapists, and people of that nature. Not one innocent soul was on his list.

Dr. Philips continued to talk.

"I've had a few sessions with him before. He refuses to cooperate. I doubt that when you see him today he will be willing to talk to you."

"It's alright," Charles said. "We just want to let him know about our arrangement and that we will be taking him home tomorrow."

"Alright," Dr. Philips said. "It's your funeral If you will just follow me, I'll lead you to his cell."

The doctor left the room with Xavier and Ororo following him.

He continued speaking as they walked to the elevator.

"I'll never forget the night he was brought in by the police. He was wearing a rather odd outfit. When the staff tried to take it off and replace it with the usual hospital clothing, he broke two men's arms. Ever since that day we just let him keep it on."

He pushed the button on the elevator and waited for it to come.

"Are you sure you're ready to deal with this young man," the doctor asked as they waited.

Ororo was the one to answer the question. "We don't want to waist any more of the hospital's time, which is why we scheduled this meeting session before we took him in."

"Very well then," said Dr. Philips as the elevator door opened and allowed them to step on. "Let us just go over the safety procedure."

They all entered the elevator and the doctor pushed the down button.

"Do not approach the cell, and stay on the right side of the cell block as you walk down. What ever you do don't give anything to him except the form that will put him under your care. And even when you do that be very careful."

The elevator soon came to a stop and the door opened. The three of them made their way down the dark hallway.

Dr. Philips continued to speak.

"You must forgive my paranoia, it's just that we can't take any chances with this patient. A month or two ago he got into a fight with one of the inmates."

"Every now and again we let the patients walk around in a special secluded area outside that's fenced off. One of the inmates that every body calls Sledge started pushing my patient around."

"Sledge always bragged that he was the strongest person in the asylum, and he kept on pushing how he killed four people with his bare hands."

"Well, as I was saying he started pushing my patient around and the two began to fight. When it was all over Sledge was lying on the ground in a pool of blood. The medical staff managed to save his left eye, and rewire his jaw, but other than that he's not a pretty sight."

After that statement Ororo looked nervously over to Xavier. She leaned closer to him so the doctor would not hear the conversation.

"Charles, are you sure it's a good idea to bring him back to the institute?"

Charles understood why Ororo was worried. All the students were not very happy about letting someone from a mental institution into their home. Still the Prof. thought it necessary to do so.

"Ororo," he stated, "I have never denied a mutant help. And I cannot allow this mutant to be all alone with his powers."

Dr. Philips finally led the two mutants to the maximum-security ward. Three guards stood watch over the inmates in a secluded room through video monitors.

One of the guards saw Dr. Philips and opened the door from inside the room.

The doctor held the door open for Ororo and Xavier as he said, "welcome to where New York dumps its worst fears. Remember, be careful."

Xavier wheeled himself down the corridor with Ororo right behind him. As they moved they saw the many inmates placed behind bars.

Some of them walked back and forth talking to themselves. Others were sitting in the corners of their cells, rocking back and forth.

Ororo jumped at the sight of one of the prisoners as he jumped at her and banged against the bars.

He hissed at her and said, "I want to see your guts."

She tried her best to ignore him, but he still called to her after she passed. Yelling the most unpleasant things.

In no time they passed another patient. He sat on his bed rocking back and forth as he talked to himself.

The two mutants could hear his ravings.

"No way, No way, God Damn it I can't take this shit. I didn't kill her. I didn't do nothing wrong. She was whore; she had it coming to her. I don't belong in here. All I did was kill a whore."

Ororo and Xavier hurried by this patient.

At last the made it to the final cell on the left. They stood in front of it ready to speak to the young man inside.

He stood in the dead center of his cell; his back to his visitors. Unlike the other patients he was not talking to himself. He seemed very calm.

Now even Xavier was about to feel a little nervous. He took a deep breath before calling to the boy. Sadly the boy's real name was unknown to the doctors at the sanitarium. So he had to use the rather odd nickname he had.

"Nightmare," he said, trying to sound as if he wasn't nervous.

The boy turned to him, and they finally got a good look of the outfit he was wearing.

It was a black cloak with a hood. The cloak was long and covered his whole body all the way to the floor. His face was covered with a mask made of simple black cloth that made it seem like the hood was hollow and filled with nothing but shadow.

On his hands he wore black gloves made from a smooth black fabric. And around his waist was an odd belt. Unlike the cloak it was dark brown. On each side were strange holsters that carried nothing at this point in time.

Charles continued. "My name is Charles Xavier. I am the owner of the Bayeville School for the Gifted."

"Ah yes," Nightmare said. He spoke as if he was purposely making his voice sound scratchy and demon like. "I was told you would be here today."

Charles nodded. "Then you know why I am here."

Nightmare nodded. "I do. It is a rather unusual state of affairs. Not many people would be so willing to take a monster out of his cage."

"That is not the way we feel," Ororo stated. "Our institution was built as a safe haven for people like you"

The young madman interrupted her. "Is that so? So you are saying it is a sanctuary for the insane. Then what would make it any different from this place?"

"No," Ororo continued, "our school is for mutants."

Nightmare was silent for just a moment.

"Mutants," he said. "How interesting."

He walked closer to the bars that kept him trapped within his four walls.

"But what do mutations have to do with me," he asked.

Charles paused before speaking. He did not quite know how to explain how he located this boy using Cerebro, or how it identified him as a mutant. It was a very complicated machine.

"We have the technology to locate other mutants," he said. "With it I found you and after a while my colleagues and I were able to find you in this Hospital."

The boy was silent.

Charles assumed that he was having difficulty in learning that he was a mutant. He tried to put an upside to it.

"Your doctor has given us permission to take you into our care. You will be free of these walls."

Nightmare however had no difficulty in absorbing this information. "Your technology may have located me, but I assure you that you are mistaken. I am no mutant. Nor do I wish to become one."

"What do you mean by that," Ororo questioned, not offended by the statement. "Have you had negative feelings towards mutants."

Nightmare laughed at her question before speaking again.

"There was once a patient here, he was a mutant. His powers were simple X-ray vision he claimed it was. It was believed that that his powers were what caused his insanity. He had no control over it. He could never sleep. Every time he closed his eyelids he could see right through them. That drove him mad."

"The other inmates did not take kindly to him. I felt pity for him the day five of the patients ganged up on him, and beat him to death."

"I did not stand for that. I hunted them down one at a time, and cut off their eyelids, so they could know the difficulty that mutant had to deal with. That was when they sent me to rot down here."

Ororo tried to hold back her fear and disgust after the young madman finished his tale.

"So," Nightmare said, "if that doesn't answer your question, then no, I have no problem with mutants."

Xavier spoke again. "Well, even if you do not think you're a mutant, we do. We can take you with us, help you understand your powers, and help you to control them."

"I need no help," Nightmare insisted. "My powers became present when I was merely eight years old."

"My home was invaded by two thieves. They cut out my eyes that very night. And that was when I learned of my powers. I did not need my eyes to see. I could see very perfectly without them. Maybe even better without them."

"So as you can figure, my powers do not need to be controlled."

Charles watched the boy as he told him this. He could sense that he wasn't telling him the whole story about the thieves that cut out his eyes. There was something else.

He tried to probe Nightmare's mind, but was instantly hit with a burst of pain and sorrow. He retracted from the mind quickly, thinking that these feelings were to private for him to observe just yet.

Nightmare looked at the mind reader as if he knew what he had done.

"Did you like what you saw," he asked.

Charles looked at him in shock for a moment.

He shook the feeling off and said, "look Nightmare, I know you have some problems. At my institute we can help you with them. We could help you in an environment less dark then the one you are in right now."

Nightmare paused once again. He thought of this offer carefully. He knew he had to get out of this place in order to continue his private mission, and prepare for the day he feared the most. The day he would run into his passed mistakes. The day he would run into those people that he had feared for so long.

He looked at Charles and asked, "why do you wish to help a madman such as myself?"

"I do not feel that any mutant should be left alone to fend for themselves," the professor said. "All you have to do is sign these papers here."

He held up a bunch of papers that he had with him.

"They have been signed by your doctor, the governor, and myself, allowing you to go under my care. All it needs is your signature and we will bring you back to the institute tomorrow."

Nightmare reached his hand through the bars and said, "tell me where to sign."

Rogue left her final class of the day and headed for her locker.

She had not seen Remy once today and she was very disappointed.

She had gone over exactly what she was going to say to him. She had debated it over and over again in her mind. And after all that, she never saw the thief once.

Frustration was building up behind her eyes. She knew she had to ask Remy to the dance as soon as she could. She knew very well that Tabitha and Amara had their eyes on him as well.

When she got to her locker she took her books out slowly, waiting for very one else to leave so she could have a quiet and peaceful walk home to clear her mind.

As soon as all the students were no where to be seen she headed for the door. She was completely unaware that she was not alone.

On her way to the door she passed by the opened doorway of a nearby classroom. A foot was instantly placed in her path and the next thing she knew she tripped over it and landed hard on the floor.

It took her a second or two to recover from her fall. She looked up to see who the asshole was that tripped her.

Sure enough it was her newest enemy she made at the high school.

She was a girl by the name of Sarah Whitman. She was a member of the popular crowed at school and had every quality of it. Always walking through the halls as if she were better than everyone else, treating those who she believed to be lower than her like garbage.

There were two boys that always hung out with her. One was her boyfriend known as Billy, a typical high school jock. Muscular, buff, and madly in love with himself.

The other was Billy's friend Jeremy. He was much like Billy, but a little bigger and fatter. Rogue always thought of the two as Sarah's henchmen.

The three of them always used to pick on the outcasts of the school, but for some strange reason they started to focus all their cruelty on Rogue.

Rogue stood to her feet as Sarah said, "you should be more careful, you stepped on my foot."

"Well, maybe if it wasn't such a big target Ah would have missed it," Rogue stated angrily as she tried to walk away.

In a flash she felt a strong hand grab her by the shoulder and slam her against the locker. Rogue found herself staring into Billy's face as the jock held her against the long line of cold metal.

"Don't you dare talk that way to my girlfriend again," he said angrily.

Rogue looked at him hatefully and said, "oh yeah you're a big man, threatening a girl."

Billy raised his fist ready to make a hit.

Rogue slid off one of her gloves ready to grabbed hold of the boy's face.

Sadly all three of them knew what her powers were.

Sarah stated angrily, "if you lay a finger on any of us I'll go strait to Principal Kelly and get you expelled."

Rogue hesitated for a moment before slipping her glove back on.

"Figures," Sarah said. "You're such a cowered."

Jeremy looked into the Goth's eyes and said, "what's wrong freak, afraid to have people see what you really are?"

Rogue tried to hold herself back from kicking one of them.

"Why do you three keep tormenting me," she asked.

"Because you disserve it," was Sarah's answer.

"Why," Rogue asked.

"Because I said so that's why," was Sarah's highly unreasonable explanation.

There were a few seconds of silence. Sarah then said, "we'll see you again tomorrow freak," and she began to walk away.

The two boys followed her, but not before Billy slammed Rogue hard against the locker one more time.

The Goth watched them leave. She wanted so much to yell something highly insulting at them, but she knew that would only make them come back to torture her some more.

She hated being helpless. Those three teens were treating her as if she didn't disserve to exist, and there was nothing she could do about it. If she retaliated then she would be the one who gets blamed. It was so unfair.

Rogue tried to shake off her anger as she headed for the door.

As she left the building she said, "maybe Ah'll have better luck avoiding them tomorrow."

The sun began to go down over the streets of Bayeville. Shadow began to envelop everything.

There was no moon out tonight. The day had come to an end; it was now time for the night to roam free.

A lone figure stood on a high point over the town, looking down at everything that lied below him now.

He was a tall young man. He wore the uniform of a soldier. Pants that had its ankles stuffed into his boots. A green coat that was worn back in World War two covered his torso. His face was covered in an old fashioned gas mask. And on top of his head he wore an army helmet.

In his left hand he held a large machete. Around his waist was a belt. On each side there was an odd holster. One carried a bayonet and the other carried a circular saw blade. He stood upon the hill and watched the town.

After a while a voice came from inside his coat. He opened it up and pulled out a walkie-talkie.

A voice came from it saying, "Wardog, come in. Wardog come in."

The young man held the machine up to his mouth and said, "this is Wardog. Is that you Stalker."

Stalker spoke clearly on the other end of the radio. "We need you back in the clearing right away. The headmaster wishes to discuss a few things before we set out into the town tomorrow night."

"I will be there shortly," Wardog claimed before cutting off communication. He put his walkie-talkie back into his coat and headed back into the woods to meet up with his comrades.

He was the member of a small group of madmen. They went from town to town to please their master's sick pleasures.

Many lives were ended by these people. They are a force that stops at nothing to accomplish their many hunts.

They are known as The Crimson Hands.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Notes: Thanks to those who reviewed. The chapters get longer from here.

Logan and Scott stood near the Professor as they waited outside the mental institution. Today was the day they brought home the newest addition to the institute.

It was still early. All the students were at school, so the instructors figured it was the best time to bring in Nightmare.

Scott stood trying not to seem worried. He had never once met someone who was truly insane, and he was not looking forward to it.

Logan could sense he was worried.

"Relax would ya," he said in his gruff voice.

"I can't," Scott said. "I really don't like the idea of taking this guy back with us."

"The kid's just got a few screws loose in his head," Logan exclaimed. "You're probably making him out way worse then he actually is."

"He's right Scott," the professor said. He had been listening to their conversation carefully.

"I admit this boy may seem very odd, but when Ororo and I met him yesterday he wasn't as bad as we feared he would be. He may seem a little dark and act as if he should be feared, but yesterday he was rather reasonable to us."

When he was done speaking Dr. Philips came out of the door with two security guards following him. They were wheeling a rather strange contraption over to them.

It was a large flat board on wheels. It stood upright and had a handle in the back allowing it to be pushed.

On the board were four shackles and two leather belts used to strap in very dangerous patients.

"Good morning," the doctor said to the three mutants as they stood and looked at the big device. "The patient should be out here shortly and we can continue with the transfer."

Logan looked at him questioningly.

"What is that thing for," he asked pointing to the thing, whatever it was.

"That," said Dr. Philips, "is what you will be using to transport my patient."

"What," Logan questioned disapprovingly. "You're gonna strap him onto that thing, like an animal?"

"I'm afraid so."

"Well, then how are we gonna get him back to our institute," asked Scott, "the car we brought isn't big enough to carry that thing."

"Don't worry," Dr. Philips assured. "Two of my guards are going to drive you back to your institute in one of our vehicles."

Logan was still rather disapproving of the transportation device.

"Why do you have to have him all chained up like he's some kind of monster."

"Because that's what he is," Dr. Philips said. "He is a danger to society. Once you get him to your institution you can do what ever the hell you want with him. But as long as he is outside of your gates then he is to be placed on this machine."

"And remember once he is at your institution he is not allowed outside of your walls until the state is convinced he is at full mental health."

Logan wanted to chew the man out, but the Professor entered his mind and asked him not to do so.

At last the doors of the mental hospital opened. Three guards come out leading Nightmare over to the three mutants.

His hands and feet were bound by hand and ankle cuffs. They made an irritating clinking sound as he made his way over to them.

One of the guards had a large box, big enough to fit a seven-year old child in.

He walked it over to Dr. Philips and asked, "where do you want me to put this sir?"

Scott was the one to answer the question.

"You can put it in the back of that car over there."

He merely planed to follow the sanitarium's vehicle back to the institute. He did not want anything to do with Nightmare quite yet.

The guard took the box over to the car.

As he did so Charles turned to Dr. Philips. "What is in there anyway."

"Those were his only personal belongings," the doctor answered. "If I had my way I wouldn't allow him to have them back. But the state insisted that they go where he goes. Seeing as he doesn't have any other personal items."

He leaned closer to Charles and whispered, "if I were you I'd keep them away from him."

The guards removed the cuffs from Nightmare and placed him on the transportation rack. Luckily there was a small board he could stand on as he was latched to the damn thing.

He stood on the board and said, "ready when you are Dr. Philips."

The doctor took his keys out of his pocket and locked Nightmare's wrists and ankles into the shackles.

The belts were placed around his torso and latched tightly around him.

After that he was instantly placed into the Sanitarium's vehicle.

Before the doors were closed on him he looked directly at Dr. Philips.

"I bet you'll die a happy man now that I'm gone," he said.

"Yes," the doctor claimed. "Very much so."

"Not if I'm the last thing you ever see," Nightmare said. And with that the doors were closed.

Dr. Philips' face turned to worry and anger.

He turned back to Xavier and said, "get him away from my hospital." And he headed back into the hospital. He didn't say another word.

The three mutants stood in silence.

After a while the first guard called to them. "Come on, hop in. We want to get this over with."

The door to the institute swung open and Rogue ran inside. She slammed it shut and leaned against it. Her hands moved over her eyes as she tried to hold back her tears. She didn't care if she got in trouble for leaving school early. She had never been so humiliated in her life.

Her thoughts were full of hatred towards herself.

__

'Why did that have to happen? Why does all the bad stuff have to happen to me? Damn it, damn it, damn it!"

There was so much anger and sadness in her mind. She couldn't believe that humiliating thing happened to her. And in front of Remy. Sadly she had no one but herself to blame for this.

She kept on replaying the incident in her mind.

It was back at the high school. The students were walking through the halls between classes.

Rogue had managed to avoid Sarah and her thugs the entire day.

She was standing against the wall waiting for Remy to come to his locker. Today was the day she was going to ask him to the dance. She was ready for this. The entire day she had thought about what she was going to say.

And she knew exactly what to wear that morning. She wanted to look her best when she asked the Cajon out.

She had on her usual gothic attire. Her green transparent shirt, her black leather skirt, everything. It was the outfit she thought she looked best in.

After waiting for what seemed like an eternity she saw him.

Remy moved to his locker, fiddling with a card in his right hand. It moved so elegantly between his fingers that she was almost hypnotized by it.

As soon as Remy stopped at his locker Rogue took a deep breath and began to move over to him.

She talked to herself as she moved, trying to calm herself. "It's ok Rogue. You're just going over to him; you're just asking him to a dance. It's what every normal teenager does. Not that Ah'm really normal, but still"

This was it; after taking a few more steps she would be next to Remy.

But before she could get to him Tabitha walked over to the demon eyed young man.

"Hey Gambit," she said. "I was just on my way over here and wanted to ask if you wanted to go to the dance with me."

Rogue stopped dead in her tracks after hearing that.

__

"WHAT!" she screamed in her mind.

Remy looked at Tabitha. His mouth opened and out came the words that the Goth could only listen in dread.

"You're lucky," he said, "no one's really asked me yet."

"Well," Tabitha said, "if you need to think about it I'll understand."

"There's no need for that," he claimed. "Sure, I'll go you."

They were just simple words, but they sill struck through Rogue's heart like a bullet.

She couldn't believe it. She had blown her chance with Remy.

She started to back away from the two. She could not walk up to him now. That would be too embarrassing.

Still she could not look away from what had just happened. Remy was the first person she had a crush on since Scott. And now she may have lost him to.

It was as if every person she grew to like got taken away from her. It was always too much to bear.

All she knew now was she had to get away from there. She started to turn and walk away.

Sadly she was not watching where she was going. Her mind was filled with too much disbelief and sorrow to do so.

And that was when it happened. The most humiliating moment of her life.

Some idiot janitor had left his garbage can right in the middle of the hall. She was so upset from what just happened that she didn't even notice it, until she ran into it.

She felt the impact hard against her body. She was moving so fast, trying to get away.

The impact caused her to loose her balance, and she fell in. She fell headfirst into the garbage can.

In seconds her head hit the bottom of the can. It hit her so hard that she was dazed for a few seconds.

It did not take her long to realize where she was.

Luckily there was not much garbage in the can with her, but there was still enough to make her gag.

She tried to get out, but it was then that she realized she was stuck. Stuck upside down in a trashcan.

Outside of the can the students looked on. All that was visible of poor Rogue now were he legs sticking out from the opening in the can.

All the Goth could do now was kick her feet about and scream for someone to help her. And that is exactly what she did.

She kicked her legs about, screaming her head off.

Soon Rogue could here all the students around her burst out laughing. All around her they were wailing with mirth at her predicament.

Rogue would have found this situation funny as well if it wasn't happening to her.

Soon the bell rang for the next class. This was when the cruelty of the students grew even worse.

No one helped her.

They all just walked by her as her legs thrashed about, her screams muffled from inside the can.

And soon there was nothing, but silence in the hall, showing that she was all alone with her disgrace.

She had no idea how long she was in there. She had to wait for that idiot janitor to show up and get her out.

After that she did not wait for the man to ask her what she was doing in there.

She ran passed him and left the high school and she didn't stop until she was home.

And that was where she was know. Leaning against the door crying. Why did that have to happen to her? Of all the rotten luck.

She was somewhat glad that there was no one home. Sure Mr. McCoy was home, but he must have been in his lab, where he usually was when every one else was gone.

Rogue moved away from the door and headed for the den. She sat down in a chair and leaned her head against her hands.

All she could think about was that embarrassing moment. The day could not possibly get any worse.

The large vehicle moved quickly down the road as Scott drove behind it in his precious car.

Inside the Professor and Logan sat in the back with Nightmare and the second guard.

Nightmare was still in his restraints, which were locked in on a special area on the floor that kept him steady as they sped to the Institute.

Charles looked over to him as the vehicle bounced over a pothole.

"There shouldn't be too many people at the Institute when we arrive," he said, "you should have a peaceful arrival."

"Actually," Nightmare began, "I was rather hoping that there would be plenty of people there when I came."

"Why is that," Logan asked.

Nightmare leaned his head on the back of the board he was strapped to.

"I have my reasons," he claimed.

"I see," said Charles, "but Nightmare you should know that not many of our students are really comfortable with your arrival. So we thought it best to bring you when they were at school so we could get you settled in and then try to have you meet with them after we calm them down a bit."

"That is understandable," Nightmare said. "But I would still prefer others around."

"Why," Charles asked. "I assumed that being out of contact with people for so long would make you nervous around them."

Nightmare looked directly at Charles as he spoke. "I have spent many years alone. I had nothing, but my own mind to keep me company."

"When I was brought to the mental institution I had not realized how much damage all that did. When the psychiatrists at the hospital talked with me I found myself asking them more questions than they asked me."

"I soon learned that I was getting into there heads. I learned personal things about them. Their secrets, their dark memories, and I even learned who they truly were."

"The reason I did this was because, my mind was not used to other people, so it had a need to learn about them. It gave me mental stimulation. After a while I found myself needing that more and more."

"I became addicted to that in a way. And I figured that I should try and cure myself of it. The only way to do that, I think, is being near as many people as possible."

Logan looked at the cloaked figure curiously. "What do you mean by, seeing who someone really is."

"It's simple," Nightmare claimed. "Let us take Dr. Philips for example. During the sessions I had with him I learned about him and in time I knew his heart."

"On the outside he may seem like a caring individual. But I know better "

"He has grown angry and selfishness after failing so many patients. He knows that he is not helping the disturbed individual in his hospital, but he doesn't care."

"It had always been obvious that he would never reveal this to the outside world. If a patient was not doing well he would hide him away in order to protect his reputation. That is exactly why he got rid of me."

Charles and Logan listened to this astounded.

Xavier was very impressed. Nightmare was able to learn about people without entering their minds like the telepath could.

But still this made him nervous. He did not want Nightmare knowing the personal facts of his students. He himself tried hard not to enter his students' minds to find out information like that, unless he had to.

His thoughts were interrupted by the guard behind the wheel of the vehicle.

"We're approaching your Institute," he said.

Soon they found themselves outside the gates of the institute. In just a few more seconds Nightmare would be free to walk its halls with the X-Men

Rogue had moved upstairs to her room after sitting downstairs crying to herself.

She had her own room in the institute now and she was very thankful about it. Now she would not have to worry about listening to Kitty's phone calls with Lance at 1 o'clock in the morning.

She had pulled out her guitar and had been strumming away at it for quite some time. The gentle plucking of the strings helped her forget about her embarrassing ordeal.

Rogue always loved playing her guitar. It seemed to be the only thing that truly made her happy in this world.

She liked writing her own songs and then trying to think of the right tune to go with it. That was what she was doing now. She was completely unaware of the commotion going on outside.

Outside of the institute the asylum transport stopped near the front door. Scott pulled up beside it.

The guards exited the vehicle and began wheeling Nightmare out.

As they did that Logan helped the Professor get out of the back in his wheelchair.

When Nightmare was taken out he looked up at the mansion. He had never seen such a building before in his life.

"Impressive," he said.

No one responded to his statement.

The first guard walked over to the Professor.

"Alright, he's in your hands now," he said.

He then took a key out of his pocket and handed it to Charles.

"Dr. Philips made you a copy of the keys to his restraints," he said. "We're leaving that here with you, just in case he gets out of hand."

"Very well," Charles said taking the keys.

The guards did not wish to spend anymore time there. They got back into the transport and left the Institute, hoping never to see Nightmare again.

Nightmare kept his gaze on the huge building.

"How does one find there way around this place without getting lost," he asked.

"Don't worry," Xavier stated. "You'll get used to it."

He then handed the keys to Logan and said, "take his restraints off please."

Logan took the keys and made his way over to the young madman.

"Are you sure we should do that now," Scott objected. "Maybe we should wait till we get him inside."

"There is no need for that," Charles assured.

Nightmare looked to Scott as Logan undid his restraints.

"What's wrong," he asked him. "Afraid I might bite?"

Scott shut his mouth after those words.

As soon as his restraints were off Nightmare stepped off of the devise.

Still mesmerized by the sight off the mansion he was unaware of the car that pulled up next to Scott's car.

Jean Grey stepped out of the vehicle. As usual she was at the mall wasting her money on things she didn't need.

The red head made her way over to Scott. The two of them kissed before Jean spoke.

"What are you guys doing back so soon," She asked. "I thought it would take a little while longer to get that creep out of prison."

"Jean quiet," the Prof. said as he pointed his finger to reveal to Jean that Nightmare was standing near by.

Jean looked a little shocked at seeing the boy. When hearing that he would be coming to the institute she didn't know what to expect.

She whispered to the Professor, "what's with that costume," of coarse meaning Nightmare's cloak.

"I don't know," he answered. "The doctors said that he was wearing it when he came to the sanitarium. He would not let anyone take it off. I'm sure we will find out the reason for it soon enough, but until then don't say anything to him about it."

"Well, I guess we at least know he has no sense of fashion," Jean said ignorantly. If she only knew.

Logan looked away from Jean and back to Nightmare, or at least where Nightmare was, for now he was gone.

"Where'd he go," Logan blurted out in surprise after seeing the new student had fled. How was it possible that he could leave without him noticing?

Xavier, Jean, and Scott looked over and saw what Logan meant.

"Oh great," Scott said, "here, we've brought a madman to our home, and he's already gotten away from us."

"Don't panic," Xavier stated. "He couldn't have gotten far. Split up and look for him."

They all did so. Jean and Scott ran into the mansion as Logan began to search outside.

Back upstairs Rogue was unaware that any of this had happened. She remained in her room as the commotion began outside.

Her guitar was still on her lap as she continued to strum away at the strings. It seemed that she had finally calmed down from her miserable day.

She had been working on the music for a song she had been working on for a few weeks now, and today she finally felt like she had it right.

It wasn't a Gothic song, nor was it any kind of punk rock. Just a simple slow song about how humans did not understand her. She was very good at slow songs, even if they were not what people expected her to write.

Rogue finally felt that it was time to test the song.

She began plucking the strings again, waiting for the right time to begin.

She took a deep breath and began to sing the lyrics:

__

I have lived in this world; no one seems to notice me.

I feel pain just like the friends; still nobody wants to see.

They see bad, they see dark, and they think that they know best.

I may seem as hard as stone, but I'm fragile like the rest.

See me as I am, not this mask that blocks your view

I'm not looking for anything special, just for you to see what's true

She became quiet as she looked for the best place to start singing again.

Meanwhile, at the end of the hall Nightmare had come up from the stairs. His curiosity had got the better of him. He had a need to search the institute on his own.

Plus he thought having the mutants look for him would give him excitement of trying to outsmart them. He thought it would give him mental stimulation. His addiction had won over him again.

As he moved down the hall he heard a strange noise. A sound he had not heard in a long time.

Guitar strings. How odd it was to him, to hear that sound again. He moved slowly towards the sound.

Back in her room Rogue began the next verse:

__

I am just a simple girl, though it may seem strange to say.

I have needs in my life, and I'm yearning night and day.

I am trapped in my skin; it's a curse that has befell.

In my dreams all I wish is that soon I can be held.

See me as I am, not this mask that blocks your view

I'm not looking for anything special, just for you to see what's true

Nightmare listened to these words in the doorway. Luckily this strange pale girl had her eyes closed, so she did not see him.

'_How interesting,' _he said in his mind. _'This girl doesn't seem at all like the ones downstairs.'_

Just then he heard the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs. He knew it had to have been one of the mutants that brought him here. He was not done playing with their minds yet.

Quickly he made his way to a nearby closet in the pale girl's room. He opened the door quietly and hid inside. Then he closed the door just as silently as he had opened it. It was as if he wasn't even there.

As the closet door closed Rogue heard the footsteps coming up the stairs.

She took her guitar off her lap and laid it on her bed.

After doing this Jean and Scott came running by her room. They stopped instantly and looked inside.

Scott looked at Rogue confused.

"Rogue, what are you doing home," he asked.

Rogue stood for a minute trying to think up an excuse. She did not want to tell Jean and Scott about what happened to her.

"Ah started feeling sick at school," she lied, "so Ah came home."

"Is that so," asked Jean in a voice of disbelief.

Rogue looked at Jean and the two instantly shot each other daggers.

Ever since the defeat of Apocalypse Jean started to dislike Rogue. No one really knew why.

To everyone else she was still miss perfect, but she had grown a darker side. She had finally become the bitch Rogue always knew she was.

Scott could feel the tension grow thick within the room. He decided to get the two girls focused on the matter at hand.

"Rogue, did you see anyone run by here earlier," he asked.

"No," she claimed, "you two were the only people Ah've seen since Ah got home."

"Are you sure," Scott asked more persistently.

Rogue looked at him curiously. He seemed very nervous about something.

"Yeah," she insisted. "Why, what happened?"

Scott gave a nervous sigh and said, "you remember that patient from the mental institution the Prof. wanted to enter into the Institute."

"Yeah," Rogue answered questioningly.

"Well, he's here," Scott blurted out.

Rogue cocked up an eyebrow and asked, "so is that why you're nervous."

"No," Scott said, "he got away from us outside."

"WHAT," Rogue yelled out in total shock. "are you kidding me!"

Scott held his hands up as if instructing Rogue to calm down.

"Relax," he said, "we're looking for him right now. I don't think he's gonna get very far."

Rogue could not speak at first. She knew that this madman was going to arrive here today, and like the other students she was not looking forward to it.

And now this guy was loose in the institute. That was not a very comforting thought.

Scott saw the worry on Rogue's face. He felt it as well.

"Okay," he said, "Rogue, Jean and I are gonna look for this guy. You just stay here and keep an eye out and your ears open. If anything happens contact Jean. Oh and you should lock the door."

It was well known that Rogue could take care of herself, but Scott felt it best that she stay in her room. Seeing how Nightmare's costume completely covered his body, Rogue would not be able to use her powers on him.

Rogue could only nod in agreement, even though she thought Scott's statement was stupid. How was she suppose to keep an eye out for this nut job if she locked herself in her room?

Scott left the room to continue the search. Soon Jean followed him.

Before she left she looked back at Rogue and said, "just keep the door shut," as if Rogue didn't understand the warning from Scott.

Then she closed the door and went after her boyfriend.

Rogue stood in her room, with her arms crossed over her chest. Her eyes were full of anger.

She was glad the two of them were gone. She did as instructed and locked the door before she did anything else.

But as soon as the click was heard on the knob another noise came from behind her.

"I can sense the hostility between you and the red head."

She turned around saw Nightmare standing behind her. He leaned against the closet door, propping it open with his body.

"I don't blame you though," he said. "She seems rather shallow, as most people would say."

Rogue's eyes turned wide with shock. She knew who this stranger was instantly.

In one quick movement she took off her gloves and stood in a fighting stance.

"What the hell do you think you're doing in here," she asked him harshly.

Nightmare did not answer her. He looked her over slightly before saying, "relax. I'm not here to fight."

Rogue remained in her fighting stance. She did not say a word; she just waited for the cloaked boy to make the first move.

Nightmare walked up to her calmly.

"If, I was really here to harm you," he said, "don't you think I would have attacked by now?"

Rogue paused once again and lowered her fists. Still she did not put her glove back on.

She looked at the young man, of course questioning his strange costume in her mind.

"Ah take it you're the new kid in the institute," she stated.

Nightmare casually began to walk in a circle around her, as if looking her over from head to toe.

"Yes," he said, answering her question. "Nightmare at your service ma'am."

"Nightmare," Rogue asked, "what kind of a name is that?"

Nightmare chuckled slightly to himself and asked, "what kind of a name is Rogue?"

The madman stopped in front of the Goth and they both stood looking at each other.

"Well," Nightmare asked, "aren't you going to call for your friends?"

It was then that Rogue remembered Scott and Jean. She had wondered why she didn't call Jean with her mind.

She then said to Nightmare, "Ah'll call them if Ah need help with you."

Nightmare smiled under the mask in his hood.

"Very good," he said.

He continued looking at Rogue. His hollow eye sockets moved over her body. What an odd attire she wore.

Rogue looked at the stranger. Her discomfort began to rise within her as she wondered why this guy was starring at her.

"What's wrong," she asked him, "you got a problem with how Ah'm dressed?"

"Not at all," he claimed. "Forgive my, it was been such a long time since I've seen a Goth."

Rogue crossed her arms and asked sarcastically, "well is it everything you hoped for?"

He did not answer her question. Instead he produced one of his own. "Tell me, Rogue, why are you a Goth?"

Rogue cocked one of her eyebrows up. "Excuse me," she asked, wondering why this guy was so curious.

"Why did you become a Gothic person," he asked. "I imagine that all Goths have a reason for becoming the way they are."

"Is it simply because you chose to, or is there a darker reason why?"

The pale girl felt a warm feeling come over her. She began to feel a light sweat come about her.

"What do you mean by that," she asked.

Nightmare smiled again under his mask and hood. "Did you suffer from some very tragic ordeal? Were your parents cruel to you? Did your father beat you on a regular basis? Or perhaps is it just to keep people away?"

A shiver rolled up Rogue's spine as she said, "Ah don't see why that's any of your business."

Nightmare caught himself in his act. His addictions were get the better of him again.

"Forgive me," he said. "After being out of contact with people for so long I find myself having a vast curiosity for personal things. It is something I can't really control."

Rogue's slight anger backed away a little bit, as she thought of her powers.

Nightmare then said, "I know that may seem a bit hard to understand."

"Well," Rogue said, "Ah may know a bit more about things that are beyond a person's control than you think."

Nightmare walked over to Rogue's bed as he said, "that is good."

He looked at Rogue's guitar and plucked one of the strings before looking at her again.

"That was a rather interesting song," he stated.

Rogue's eyes turned wide again as she said hysterically, "Oh God you heard me? That's just freakin great, Ah don't want people hearing mah songs."

"Calm down," Nightmare said. "It was quite good in my opinion."

Rogue calmed down a little. "Really," she asked, "you liked it?"

"Yes," the young madman said, sort of hissing.

Rogue became skeptical of his comment. "Why did you like it? Ah mean it was just a stupid song Ah made up, it can't be that good."

Nightmare disagreed. "Oh no, no, no. You did fine."

He then walked passed the Goth and unlocked her bedroom door.

"If you'll excuse me," he said, "I think I've put your friends through enough fear for today."

He then left the room, intending to find the Professor before any of the other mutants discovered where he had been hiding.

Rogue watched him leave, and immediately locked the door after he was gone.

That guy had really given her the creeps. She had never been so nervous before.

There was just something odd about him, besides the fact he wore that costume, and the fact that he was insane. Or was he truly crazy.

To Rogue it didn't really seem that way. He did seem creepy, but he didn't seem insane. It was obvious he had a good grip on reality and knew exactly what he was doing when questioning her.

But still, for some strange reason, Rogue was glad that she met him. It felt good that somebody actually liked her song, even if he was the only person to hear it.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Notes: Thanks to those who reviewed.

Note to Cat2fat900: I am glad that you like my OC, and I will only try to make him cooler. I wasn't really planning on making this a Rogue/Nightmare fic, but now that you mention it I might. I like your Roguemare idea.

So I will ask all my readers, do you want this to be a Rogue/Nightmare fic, or not? Please tell me what you think.

The Professor looked on as Logan placed the large package of Nightmare's belongings on the floor.

The gruff man took his hands away from the box as he turned to the telepath.

"You sure we should be snooping through his things," he asked in a voice that was full of uncertainty.

"I know it may seem immoral," Charles said, "but if Dr. Philips suggested we keep Nightmare's belongings away from him I would like to know what they are."

Logan placed his gaze back on the box.

He soon noticed a small letter on top of the package. When he took it off to read it he discovered that it was from the governor himself.

He read over the letter and his eyes began to gaze in curiosity.

"Charles, read this," he said giving the letter to the leader of the X-Men.

__

Dear Sir or Madam,

It has come to my attention that you will be bringing a patient of the Bayeville Sanitarium to your institution. As by law the Sanitarium is required to return whatever belongings the patient might have. However in this case these objects sent to your institution with the patient are nod under any circumstances to be given to this individual. Keep them locked away and out of reach from the patient.

Sincerely,

Governor Winthrop

(Author's Notes: I didn't know if it was actually a law to give belongings back to insane people when they were set free, but I made it a law in order to make my story work.)

As Charles read this Logan opened the large package. He slid his claws out from his hands and cut it open.

When the box was open his eyes turned wide.

"Charles," he said, "you better get a look at this."

Xavier took his gaze away from the letter as Logan pulled the three items out of the box.

They were weapons. Razor sharp weapons.

One was a small machete. It shined bright, without a single splotch of rust on it, showing that its owner took good care of it.

The second was a hand held sickle. Its curve was perfect. The light moved across its cold metal surface as Logan placed it on the ground.

And the final weapon was an ax. The head was made from a silver colored metal. Its long handle was smooth and felt as if it gripped perfectly in Logan's hand. And at the end of the handle, a sharp point was carved, to create a secondary way to damage an opponent.

Xavier watched in horror as Logan pulled each on of the instruments of death out from the box.

"Why wood the Governor permit these things to be any where near some one in Nightmare's condition," he asked himself out loud.

Logan did not speak, but the Prof. could tell that he was thinking the same thing.

As soon as all the weapons were out of the box Nightmare entered the room.

It had been a few hours since he pulled his little stunt and the Professor was not too happy with him about it.

But the young madman didn't care. The students had returned from school quite some time ago, and he was hoping that he could get his introduction over with, wishing to observe the other students in order to learn about them.

"May I ask what you are doing in here," he stated.

Xavier and Logan looked up, finally noticing he was in the room.

Xavier tried to answer him in a calm voice. He had already given Nightmare a lecture, and he did not want the boy to seem unwelcome.

"Nothing really," Xavier claimed. "We're just going over a few things before we introduce you to the other students."

Nightmare nodded as if he understood.

He took a few more steps into the room. That was when he noticed his weapons on the floor next to Logan.

He stopped in his tracks and looked at the deadly items. Joy filled up in his heart.

"My old weapons," he said, sounding as if he had run into some old friends.

The two mutants looked at the young killer. Worry overcame them after hearing those words.

"It has been so long since I've seen them," Nightmare said. "It's felt like an eternity."

Xavier looked to Logan, as if telling him to put the weapons back in the box.

The gruff man began to do so.

Nightmare then said, "I would very much like, to hold them again."

"I'm afraid not," Charles said sternly.

Nightmare looked to him. The joy that was in his heart quickly vanished, but he did not reveal his sadness.

"Why not," he asked.

Logan placed the weapons back in the box and said, "if any one outside of this institute sees you with those weapons, we'd be held responsible. Understand."

Nightmare looked to Logan. However he was not angry. He seemed to understand.

"I see," he said. "But if I am not allowed to carry them, then promise me you will keep them somewhere safe."

And he left the room.

Logan closed the box after placing the weapons inside. "He seems really attached to these things," he said.

Charles remained fixed on the door where Nightmare exited.

He placed his hand on his chin as if lost in thought.

He had felt a strange connection between Nightmare and his weapons. A strange bond that normally associated with humans, and other humans. But in this case Nightmare felt a sort of love towards his weapons, as if they were people.

As he thought about this, Charles said, "Logan I want you to keep those weapons locked away. I don't want Nightmare to see them again for a while."

"You don't plan on keeping these things away from him forever," Logan asked.

The Professor rubbed his forehead. "I think Nightmare has a certain need for his weapons. I feel we must try to wean him from them."

Logan said no more. He took the box out of the room and searched for a place to lock them away.

Rogue sat in the living room with the other students as the chatter went on around her.

It had been three hours since they all returned from school.

Luckily only a few of them heard what had happened to Rogue, but she knew it would spread around the institute sooner or later.

The only people who had talked to her about what happened were Kitty and Kurt.

They had approached her earlier to see if she was okay. She had told them she was fine, but she was far from okay.

The other students continued to talk as they waited for the newest recruit to enter. Rogue stayed out of their conversations, leaning against a wall at the edge of the room.

As she waited a very familiar voice came from the side of her.

"Good evening chere."

Rogue turned to see Remy standing next to her. His arm propped up against the wall so he could lean comfortably.

The Goth's eyes turned to shock as she turned away from him. She couldn't even look at Remy now. Not after what happened today.

"What's wrong, petite," he said, "ain't you happy to see me?"

Rogue tried to calm herself.

"Ah'm sorry," Rogue said without facing him. "Ah can't talk right now."

"Why not," the Cajon asked.

Rogue turned back to him. Why would he want to talk to her after what had happened today.

She immediately sunk into his red and black eyes. She wanted to look away again, but she couldn't.

A smile formed on Remy's face. His usual grin that trapped any one of the female gender.

But sadly he said the words that Rogue hoped he wouldn't say. "I heard you took a nasty spill this morning."

Rogue finally found the ability to turn away. Her shame had returned to her.

"Ah take it you saw what happened," she said. It was easy to tell that her pride was still scared.

Remy grabbed gently onto Rogue's shoulder and turned her around easily.

"No," he said, "Tabitha pulled me away before it happened. To bad we were gone, we would have helped you out."

A sudden burst of relief fell over Rogue. Remy did not see what happened. And it also seemed like he didn't care about what happened to her.

"However," he stated, "before Tabitha took me away I did see you walking over to me. Why was that?"

Rogue tried to think of an excuse quickly. She couldn't have Remy know why she tried to approach him this morning. Not now.

"Ah Ah, um" she stuttered.

Remy held his hand up, causing Rogue to stop speaking.

"Stop fumbling," he said, "I know the reason."

He paused as Rogue's expression transformed to surprise.

"You wanted to ask me to the dance didn't you," he asked.

Rogue's eyes turned even wider. "How did you know that," she asks nervously.

"Relax," Remy said, "I've known you've had a crush on me."

"WHAT," Rogue yelled out. She was surprised that the other students didn't hear her.

Remy held his finger up to her lips, careful to not make contact with her skin. He lowered his finger after the Goth calmed down a little.

Rogue looked him dead in his black and red eyes. She became trapped in them yet again; almost hypnotized by them.

"How did you find out," she asked him.

The smile grew on Remy's face. "It's been obvious," he said. "You always seemed nervous when I was around. Plus every time I talked to you, your face turned slightly pink. I new there was something up."

Rogue began to blush suddenly. She had no idea she was that obvious.

"Well, why didn't you say anything," she asked him.

"I wanted to wait for you to get the nerve to tell me," was Remy's reply. "That's why I tried to avoid the other women in our happy home until you asked me to the dance. Sadly it backfired after Tabitha asked me. I couldn't just say 'no' to her; that would be rude. I never mistreat a lady."

Rogue looked shamefully to the ground. This only made her bad day even worse. If only she had asked Remy out earlier than everything would have been fine. But no, she had to stall this entire time.

She was about to speak t Remy again, but the Professor entered the room before she could get another breath out.

All the students immediately became silent. Every eye in the room was focused on the Prof.

Charles waited a few moments before he spoke.

"X-Men," he said, "as you are well aware we have a new student joining us today. He is waiting outside as we speak."

All the students began to look uncomfortable around him. They all knew this new mutant was from an asylum. And now that they were finally meeting him they couldn't help, but be nervous.

Charles spoke again. "I know most of you have not been looking forward to his arrival. However I am sure that we can trust him. His ways may seem strange to all of you, but that does not mean he should be shunned from all of you. Give him some time and you will hopefully get use to him. I want you to treat him like he is one of you. Understand?"

The students all stated that they understood in their own way.

With that Charles nodded and turned to the nearby door.

"Alright Nightmare," he called, "you may come in."

With those words the door swung open slowly and in walked Nightmare.

The students were instantly mesmerized by his attire. Some whispered to each other, while others tried to hold back a giggle.

Bobby leaned over towards Sam as the two sat on the couch and said, "I had no idea Halloween had come early this year."

Nightmare stopped walking and turned to Bobby.

He walked over to the boy and looked directly at him.

"Do you fined my cloak amusing," he asked.

Bobby only shook his head out of fear.

"Calm yourself," Nightmare said. "I will not hurt you if you give me an honest answer."

Bobby swallowed hard before speaking.

"Well, I just think its kind of funny," he said in a shaky voice, "I mean here you are in a weird Halloween costume, and it's the middle of spring."

"I see," Nightmare said. "You find it odd that a person would wear a costume, as you would call it, when the occasion does not call for one."

Bobby only nodded.

"You must understand," Nightmare said, "I live out on the streets for many a year. While most people were inside next to warm fires, I was sleeping on cold concrete. This "costume" was the only thing I had to keep me warm."

He walked away from Bobby, thinking his explanation was good enough. He made his way to the center of the room where he stood so he could face all of the X-Men.

"Your professor," he began, "has told me all of your names. However I have asked him not to tell me which name belongs to which person. I wish to try my luck at finding out who is who."

Nightmare looked about at the people. He could still feel the tension between everyone in the room. It flowed thick between everyone.

"You are not pleased to have me here I know," he stated, "but I assure you that I will not harm anyone within these walls. I am not the monster you all think I am."

He then raised his right hand and said, "I swear on my blood, that I will not hurt any of you."

He then lowered his hand and began to move around the room again. His steps were so quiet that the students believed his feet didn't even touch the ground.

Nightmare continued his movement until he stopped in front of Kurt.

The furry elf had his image inducer on. The disguise was so real that not a man alive could tell he was different. However Nightmare sensed something was amiss.

In a slow and easy gesture he held out his hand and said, "let me see your wrist."

A hint of fear spread on Kurt's face. Still he did not want to make this young madman seem unwelcome.

Slowly he placed his wrist in Nightmare's hand.

The cloaked boy slide his fingers along the watch on Kurt's wrist before taking it off.

Kurt's human form began to blink before he turned back into his normal self. His demon form was now as clear as day.

"Give me that back," Kurt said in a panic.

As he reached for his watch Nightmare grabbed his arm.

"Calm yourself," he said to the furry mutant. "We're all among friends here. There is no need for you to hide your true self."

He handed the watch back to Kurt, but not before saying, "we're not so different you and I. We both hide behind masks to hide who we really are."

He then allowed Kurt to have his holowatch back. But Kurt did not put it back on when it was returned to him. He was relieved that the new guy didn't care about his appearance.

Nightmare then pointed at the blue elf and said, "you're Kurt Wagner."

It was amazing. He knew who Kurt was even though he had never met him before. Even though the students were afraid of Nightmare they were still very impressed.

The cloaked figure moved on. He walked across the students slowly before standing in front of Amara.

The girl eyed Nightmare, as the strange boy looked her over.

He took a few steps over to the girl, and began to sniff the air around her. This caught all of the X-Men by surprise. Why was he sniffing Amara?

As Nightmare sniffed the air he said to the girl, "you use lavender skin lotion. But I can still sense a hint of something else."

He sniffed a little more. "You smell of fire. The smell of flames after they have scorched flesh and left it in a pile of ash You must be Magma, also known as Amara."

Once again he left the students stunned in astonishment.

And so he moved on. Passing by many other students. He moved his gaze to Scott and Jean, standing side by side.

Nightmare looked at Jean, as if trying to see her very soul.

Jean's eyes narrowed at him as she said, "you already know me, we met earlier."

"Yes," said Nightmare, "we have. And I do know you, only too well. I found out who you were the moment I laid eyes on you."

He started to walk away again, but Jean's words stopped him instantly.

"What's that suppose to mean," she asked, "I'm not that obvious."

Nightmare turned back to her, "you wouldn't think so would you? Trust me girl, you are as clear as a sheet of glass."

Jean became angry. "Yeah right, I probably know you more than you know me."

Nightmare gave a slight chuckle.

"Is that so," he asked.

He took a few more steps towards her and said, "humor me."

The red head did it with pleasure. "It's obvious that you're just some nut job, desperate for attention. Why else would you wear that costume?"

"Really," Nightmare stated. He did not seem insulted, only very amused.

He stepped even closer to Jean so that he was extremely close, to close for comfort.

"You know girl," he began, "you could not be farther off from the truth about me."

He looked her up and down before speaking again.

"Do you even know yourself," he said. "You know what I see when I look at you in your tacky dress and your flimsy shoes, you look like a women who seems to desperate to be loved."

"A simple wined up toy, always dressing up in the styles that are in, loving what ever others love, and yet you have no personality of your own, only a taste for what others like. I wouldn't be surprised if you were the popular kid when you were in school."

The rage began to grow in Jean.

"I was popular," she said. "Why, are you jealous?"

The lame insult amused Nightmare even more.

"Not at all," he said. "I never met popular kids in school. I didn't even spend much time there. I left the moment I became this thing you see before you; left my whole life behind. But I still was able to witness the "popular crowed", as they believed themselves to be."

"They always assumed themselves to be better then anyone else. But under their money, their "cool clothes", and their useless makeup, they're nothing more than white trash."

And after that he turned away from Jean.

Scott stood next to his girlfriend speechless. He did not know what to say in defense of the woman he loved.

For his lack of defense Jean elbowed him in the stomach.

Nightmare continued around the room, stopping to look at Remy and Rogue.

"Well, well, well," he said, "if it isn't Remy. Standing shoulder to shoulder with my favorite little Goth."

Rogue moved a little closer to the demon eyed Cajon, still a little uncomfortable with this Nightmare character.

Remy looked into the darkness of Nightmare's hood, and Nightmare looked in the Cajun's oddly colored eyes.

Then the young thief did something completely unexpected.

He reached his hand out to shake Nightmare's.

"It's a pleasure," he said.

Nightmare paused for a moment. Then he reached out and shook Remy's hand.

As he did so he looked down at the limb, feeling it through his black glove.

"You have the hands of a thief," Nightmare stated.

Remy only gave his cocky smile and said, "you're very perceptive."

Nightmare nodded.

"I've always hated thieves," he said before ripping his hand away from Remy's grip.

The Cajun looked at the young madmen shocked, and somewhat offended.

Nightmare spoke to him, "thieves are what changed me into this thing."

He held up his hands in front of him, showing that he meant himself. Then he turned away from Remy and over to Rogue.

The Goth looked at him. Her nervous state slowly raised within her.

"We've already met remember," she said.

"Of course," Nightmare said. "It was a pleasure. I hope we can talk some more."

And he walked away from her, to investigate the other students.

Rogue watched him walk away.

'_Why didn't he try to tell the others something about me,'_ She asked herself in her mind.

Remy leaned closer to her and whispered in her ear, "what's his problem?"

Rogue's only answer was, "Ah don't know."

This Nightmare guy was a strange person indeed. So mysterious and eerie. Why was he like this? What had changed him into this strange man that now lived with the X-Men.

Duncan Matthew's sat in his car in the middle of a dark parking lot with his other Jock friends.

It had been months since they had gotten out of jail for attacking Spyke that fateful night.

They all sat around drinking beer and laughing at stories of old times in the High School.

Duncan opened up another can of beer as he spoke.

"Man, I still can't believe those mutants haven't gotten kicked out of the High School yet."

"Give it time," one of his friends said so confidently. "One of these days they're gonna screw up, and hopefully they'll be locked behind bars where they belong."

"Amen to that," Duncan stated as he clinked his can with his friends.

They continued drink completely unaware of the figures that observed them nearby.

As the jocks began to laugh again a banging sound came from the darkness around them.

Duncan looked towards the shadows, think he would see some homeless man rummaging through the trashcans.

But that was not what he saw. Instead he saw a strange young man standing in front of him.

He was dressed as a WWII soldier with a gas mask covering his face.

Duncan looked at the stranger with narrow eye.

"What the hell are you looking at man." he yelled out to the soldier.

Wardog did not answer him. He just stood with his hands behind his back.

Duncan picked up on of his beer cans and threw it at the odd young man.

Wardog saw the can coming. He took his hands out from behind his back, revealing his huge machete held tightly in his grasp.

He knocked the can away with ease and continued looking at the jocks.

Duncan began to think that throwing the can was not a good idea.

He turned to the steering wheel of his car saying to his friends, "maybe we should get out of here."

He turned on his car. The headlights became bright, and revealed another figure standing in front of the vehicle.

Duncan jumped at the sight of him.

He was a tall young man with a pitchfork clasped in his hands. His body was wrapped in a black coat over a turtle neck sweater and a pair of dark pants.

Just like his partner Wardog, he wore an odd belt around his waist. It contained a butcher knife and a claw hammer.

And over his face he wore a skull mask, with a black hat placed on the top.

This young man was known as Stalker. He stood in front of Duncan's car, ignoring the blinding lights in the front.

He then spoke. His voice was like that of a southern preacher. His accent was obvious, but not that thick.

"How often do people like you ridicule others, and ignore your own faults?"

Duncan revved the engine of his car and said in a demanding voice, "just get out of the way jackass, or I'll run you over."

Stalker did not move. He only nodded his head.

The jocks did not know this, but that was a signal for Wardog to act.

He took his circular caw blade out of his belt and through it like a disk at the car.

It went passed the other jocks and right into Duncan's right hand.

The boy grabbed hold of his injured hand in pain.

Stalker stood in place. A smile formed under his mask, happy about what he had just seen.

Duncan looked at the boy in front of his car.

"What do you want," he asked the stranger in a voice full of pain.

Duncan's friends began to rummage through the car for anything they could use as weapons against these odd young men.

Stalker could see their frantic state and chuckled to himself.

"Don't bother," he said, "you will get no help tonight."

One of Duncan's friends looked at the young psychopath. His eyes were narrow as he tried to use his intimidating face; one that worked so well on the athletic field.

He said, "you think you can beat us. I don't think so. There's five of us and only two of you."

Stalker laughed even harder. He held his pitchfork so its points aimed at the jock that had just spoke.

"Ah think you are mistaken," he said.

The Jock reached around on the floor until he felt a tire iron. He pulled it up into view and stepped out of the car.

Duncan soon joined him despite the pain in his hand, and was followed by the other Jocks.

They all stood, most of them without weapons, hoping that their strength in numbers would suffice in scaring off these two freaks.

Stalker and Wardog watched this. They found it pitiful.

Wardog placed the tip of his machete on the ground and leaned against it.

"How pathetic," he stated. "How desperate must you be, to think that you could defeat us. Are you just too full of pride to just run away."

Duncan stepped forward furiously. He completely ignored the wound on his hand as he spoke.

"We are not gonna run from you," he said. "We've never run from any problem in our lives! We're not cowards, we're doers! At like my buddy pointed out, there are five of us, and only two of you!"

Stalker relaxed his pitchfork and placed its points on the ground.

"Sorry," he said, "but you are wrong, fellow sinner. Ah do not see you as brave men in mah eyes. Ah see you as worthless sons of whores. The sons of a thousand fathers, all of them bastards, just like you. You may seem like worthy people, but you are nothing in mah view. Just separate piles of the horrid human kind that we must cut down."

Duncan became shocked.

"You're a mutant," he asked.

Stalker shook his head. "Far from it. We are nothing like mutants. We are the gifted. Mahself, and all mah brothers alike, are much more."

The dumfounded state of the jocks only grew immensely. What did he mean by brothers.

It was then that four more figures stepped out from the dark shadows that hid them well in the night.

All of them stood around the jocks, changing their enemies from two to six.

The other four were much like Stalker and Wardog, and yet different in many ways.

The first was known as Hunter. He stood wrapped in his hoodless cloak. A black silk bag covered his face, with two eyeholes cut in the front of it.

He had a belt much like Stalker and Wardog. All of them did. And each carried different weapons.

The two weapons Hunter had within his belt was a hook, and a chain, coiled loosely as it hung against his right leg. And in his hands was a pick ax.

Not to far away from him was Butcher. His costume was simple. He wore dark clothing. An apron covered his front, and that itself was covered with stains of old blood. Upon his face was a surgical mask, and a pair of green goggles covered his eyes.

Next to him was Scarecrow. He was dressed in a dark green jacket and an old shirts and pants. He covered his face with a creepy scarecrow mask as an old hat rested on top of his head.

A gaff was held tightly in his hand. In his belt were a sharp gardening tool and a club.

Between all of them stood a very odd young man. He was dressed as a grotesque clown. He wore a pair of corduroys on a dark sweater. His face as would be guessed was covered in a horrible clown mask.

He walked forward towards Duncan, who stood in front of hie group of friends.

The clown had a meat cleaver between his fingers. He twirled it about as he moved to the jock. His belt contained a crowbar and a rope, with a noose tied at the end of it.

Duncan remained motionless as the strange boy made his way over to him. He kept thinking to himself, _'why did I have to get out of the car?'_

His heart began to pound as the clown stepped closer to him.

And as soon as they were face to face, the odd young man stopped.

The two just looked at each other, waiting to see what the other did.

The clown held his blade up to Duncan's face. And as odd as it seemed, he started saying a strange rhyme.

It was simple and to the point.

The boy's voice was full of insanity as he spoke.

__

Hickory Dickory dock.

The clown slaughtered the jock.

The jock was dead, all stained blood red.

Hickory Dickory dock.

Duncan just looked at him in bewilderment.

"What is you problem," he asked.

However the strange boy did not answer.

He grabbed onto Duncan's jacket and raised his cleaver into the air.

"Clowny will enjoy this," the young killer stated, revealing his name as he referred to himself in the third person.

His friends could only watched as Duncan was killed. His screams flowed through the night sky. It was endless and terrible.

And when the screaming died down it was certain that he was dead.

Clowny looked to the other jocks. His cleaver stained red. His eyes seen perfectly through the holes in his mask. They were filled with madness and a hint of joy.

The other killers around them walked to his side.

The jocks all fell to their knees.

One began to beg, "please man, don't kill us. We've got so much to live for. We can't die now, not when our lives are ready to pick up."

"Enough," said the killer known as Hunter.

He held his pick ax firm in his hands.

"You're wasting valuable bleeding time."

All the killers ran to the jocks to finish what they had come for.

The screams of death ran thick in the air. None could imagine what was happening to the jocks. The former kings of Bayeville High.

Not to far away from the seen a lone figure watched the murder from the shadows.

He was not afraid of what he saw. In fact he loved it.

He stood looking at the deaths of the jocks as he said, "my children have done quite well tonight."

He smiled under the black scarf that covered his face.

This man was the leader of the killers, known as Shamen.

He stood wrapped in his trench coat, his colorless eyes watching the scene of death.

Soon the night would be over, but another would come. And The Crimson Hands would enter the darkness to kill again.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note to Cat2fat900: I am very glad you enjoy this fic, and my OC. So far you are the only person who has read my story, I hope to get more, but since you are the only reader so far, you get what you want. This will be a Rogue/Nightmare fic, or Roguemare as you say. I like that name too. Thank you for your input.

YOU ROCK!

It stood in the lone silo of the hidden fortress, huge and powerful. It's metal surface gleaming in the darkness. The Sentinel.

Trask stood in the chamber with his creation. This was the only one that was somewhat intact after the ordeal with Apocalypse, and his men have been repairing it ever since.

Now it was almost complete, again. And the fateful day would come, when it would rise again, to destroy the X-Men.

Trask's eyes closed tightly when he thought about them.

The X-Men. The only people that stood in his way of ridding the world of their kind. If it were not for them, nothing would be in his way of mutant annihilation.

However he planned to change that.

His men kept their tools at work, trying to take away any imperfection.

He yelled up to them, "hurry along! We can't move so slowly! The end of the X-Men is at hand!"

The students of the Xavier institute stood in the danger room. Nightmare stood among them, waiting for the session to start.

It was surprising that he was willing to participate, being a new student and all. All of the new recruits just watched during their first time in the danger room. However he requested that he join in.

He stood with his hands behind his back, waiting to hear what this lesson would teach.

All the students were quiet when Beast called for their attention.

"Alright everyone," he said, "today's lesson will be a simple review on the use of teamwork in difficult situations. The reason for this will be to get our newest member used to the danger room."

They all looked to Nightmare; many of them thankful that this lesson seemed like it would be an easy one today.

Nightmare however was not pleased. He preferred a challenge. Still he did not say anything.

"Now," Hank continued, "seeing as Nightmare is new here he will need someone with more experience to join with him. So I will ask one of the older recruits to team up with him."

This made Nightmare even more irritated. It was like they were treating him like an inexperienced child.

With all due respect, he was probably a little more adult than most of the older teens.

He had to grow up at a very young age. He may have been in the body of an eighteen-year-old, but he had the mind of some one much older. He just did not wish to show it sometimes.

Hank than asked, "so who would like to partner up with Nightmare?"

Every one was silent. It was still obvious that the students were nervous around him.

Nightmare waited to see who would be his ally in the lesson at hand. But no one stepped up.

Rogue looked around at the other students. She felt this was very cruel.

True Nightmare was odd, but he did not disserve to be treated like an outcast. He just had some mental problems. In a way every one has a little insanity in them. Nightmare's madness was just harder to control.

Still she was nervous around Nightmare herself. But she did not want to make herself a hypocrite by keeping silent.

She stepped forward and said, "Ah'll partner up with him."

Hank looked at her and smiled. He felt the same way Rogue did about Nightmare.

"Very good," he said. "Now while the rest of you partner up we will get started. Everyone will be in groups of two. If your partner is defeated, you both loose. So everyone, be on your guard, and do your best."

And so the students began to pair up as Hank headed for the control room.

So much commotion went on as Nightmare turned to Rogue.

"Why did you wish to team with me," he asked.

Rogue looked at him. She tried not to make herself seem afraid.

"Ah don't know," she claimed.

The cloaked madman knew she was not telling the truth. However in this case he did not question her any further.

He was rather intrigued by this Goth. How strange she was. She was unlike everyone else in the Institute.

This made him determined to learn about her. His addiction for mental excitement had returned.

But as strange as it seemed that was not the only reason. He did not know why, he just had to learn about her.

Nightmare kept his gaze on Rogue for a long while. When she finally noticed she became unnerved.

"What are you looking at," she asked.

Nightmare smiled to himself, under his black mask, instantly thinking of a way to cover up his reason for staring.

"How does ones skin get so pale," he asked. "Don't tell me you're allergic to sunlight."

He said this in a teasing manner.

Normally Rogue would react to that with offence.

However this time she gave a quick chuckle through her nose.

She retorted sarcastically, "how does one get as creepy as you."

Nightmare chuckled at her statement. He leaned over to her and said, "a quick thinker, I like that."

He looked away from her and towards the control room, waiting for the lesson to start.

Rogue tried not to look back at him.

__

'Ah think Ah may have made a mistake,' she said in her mind as Hanks voice called down from the control room.

"Alright," he called, "every one get ready, the simulation will begin now."

The lesson had gone on for a while. Two teams had already been eliminated. However Rogue and Nightmare had not seen anyone yet.

They moved around through the Simulation City that was created as their arena.

Both walked in silence. Rogue was surprised that the madman wasn't acting the same way as he did when he was introduced to the X-Men.

Still she had a feeling like he was watching her the whole time.

She had to break the silence between them. It was driving her insane. She expected this lesson to be a little louder than this, but since they had not seen any action it was pretty quiet.

"So uh" she said, trying to think of anything she could say to end the silence, "what's with the name Nightmare anyway?"

She rolled her eyes after thinking of such a stupid question.

Nightmare stopped moving and looked at her.

"Why do you want to know," he asked.

Rogue shrugged. "Just curious."

Nightmare nodded.

"Remember," he said, "curiosity killed the cat."

The Goth gave him an annoyed look, and the madman only chuckled.

"Forgive me," he said. "I find that statement foolish myself. My curiosity is what has kept me alive for many years. I find it a vital thing to mankind."

"How's that's," Rogue asked.

"It has always been a simple fact," he answered. "Curiosity is what has motivated man to search the darkest corners of our world."

He began moving again. Rogue continued walking beside him. She was becoming very interested by this strange young man.

She smiled to herself as she walked.

"That was pretty cool, how you told off Jean," she said.

"Could see right through her," Nightmare said. "Everything was handed to her as a child. Never once did she have to deal with hardship. Never to know the experiences of those who have struggled. If she didn't have her popularity she would be nothing more than a whore on the streets."

Rogue began to rub her upper arm. It was so creepy. Nightmare seemed to know about Jean even though he never met her before.

"How do you do that," she asked.

"Do what," Nightmare asked.

"Get into people's heads," Rogue continued. "How do you know so much about people with out ever really meeting them? Ah doubt your powers give you the ability to read minds."

Once again Nightmare turned to her, but this time he turned so he stood in front of her.

The Goth stopped dead in her tracks. Her discomfort slowly began to return.

"I observe," he stated. "I listen to people, and watch what they do. I check their bodies, what do they ware, how do they move. And I ask questions, to satisfy my undying curiosity."

Rogue wanted to step away from him, but she couldn't. There was just something about him that stopped her from moving away from him.

"I know a lot Rogue," he said stepping closer to her. "You for example, I know you. You are an outcast; afraid to be near people for reasons unknown to me. I can see it in your eyes. The way they welled up with terror every time someone steps near you. I saw it when the elevator became crowded with these students on our way down here."

Rogue wanted to tell him to stop. But she didn't.

"Tell me Rogue," Nightmare asked, "why are you so afraid to get close to people?"

Normally Rogue wouldn't answer such a question to a person she didn't know, but in this case she couldn't help herself.

"Mah powers," she said.

Nightmare cocked his head.

"What do you mean," he asked. His voice was not demanding. It was calm and gentle, but still with that demonic nature.

For reasons unknown to Rogue, she wanted to tell him.

She slipped off her glove and held up her bare hand.

"If Ah were to touch somebody Ah could end up killing them," she said. "Mah powers make it so if Ah touch somebody Ah absorb their life force, their memories, and if they're a mutant Ah take their powers."

She slipped her glove back on. Hoping that Nightmare was satisfied.

He wasn't. The next thing he said sent a chill down Rogue's spine.

"That is not the only reason," he claimed.

Rogue eyes turned wide. In all her days at the institute she had been keeping a secret from her friends. The true reason why she was afraid to get close to people. She had never told anyone about it. But somehow Nightmare knew she was keeping something.

Rogue tried to cover it up. "It is the only reason."

"No it isn't," Nightmare stated. "I can sense it. It eats away at you every so often doesn't it?"

Rogue shook her head and let out a stern, "NO!"

Nightmare declined from his next question.

"Very well," he said, "I won't ask you again. That is until you are ready."

He turned away and continued through the simulation city.

Rogue took a deep breath before she continued to follow her teammate.

But as soon as he started moving he stopped.

Rogue stopped with him.

"What's wrong," she asked.

Nightmare held his finger up as if signaling her to be quiet.

"One moment," he said.

He took a few steps forward to get a better look of something Rogue couldn't see.

"Over there," he said.

Rogue looked to where he was pointing. It was one of the buildings not too far away. The third window to the right on the third floor.

It was Iceman, trying to keep hidden as he kept watch.

"What an idiot," Rogue said. "You can see him as plain as day."

Nightmare nodded.

"That's because he's only a decoy," he said.

Rogue looked at him questioningly.

The next thing she knew, Nightmare pushed her aside as Cannonball came zipping out from the shadows of a dark ally nearby.

Nightmare quickly dodged him.

Cannonball hit the wall of another building and deviate upward towards the sky.

He hit the ceiling of the danger room and fell back to the ground.

Nightmare watched as he fell back to Earth.

The blond haired boy hit the ground hard and laid there for a minute or two.

Rogue watched this in disbelief.

While she stood in her shock Nightmare stood over Cannonball.

"Have you ever tried to sneak up on a madman before," he asked. "It is very difficult as you have just discovered."

As he spoke, Iceman came down from his hiding place. He walked over to Cannonball and helped him to his feet.

"How did you mess that up," he asked his partner, "we planned the whole thing out perfectly."

"I don't know," Sam insisted, rubbing the sore spot on his head. "He saw me coming."

Bobby was about to speak again before he looked over to Nightmare.

Luckily they were still in the game, and saw that their opponents were ready to fight.

Rogue stood next to Nightmare, her face looking as if she was ready to rumble.

The two boys stood facing the Goth and the Madman.

The two teams circled around each other. Each person waiting to see who would make the first move.

In a flash Cannonball revved up his powers and launched himself at Nightmare, again.

The cloaked figure tried to move out of the way. Cannonball managed to nick his right shoulder as he zipped by his opponent.

Nightmare felt the hit and spiraled to the ground, sliding a few feet before stopping.

Cannonball adjusted himself a little so that when he hit the wall he bounced back towards Nightmare.

The young madman rolled out of the way, dodging the hit by mere inches.

Meanwhile Rogue was up against Bobby.

She kept her eyes focused on him, waiting for him to make his move.

"This wont be easy," Iceman claimed, "you know I don't like to loose."

"Well you better get used to it," Rogue said as she knelt on the ground and spun, tripping him in the process.

Iceman shot out his powers at Rogue.

She jumped out of the way. She bounced her feet off a nearby wall and turned with her foot towards Bobby.

The boy saw her attack coming and moved out of the way.

Rogue could not stop as her foot hit the ground hard, bending the wrong way as she landed.

She stood back up; a throbbing pain lingered in her ankle.

Bobby took advantage of this.

He grabbed on to one of Rogue's arms and twisted it behind her back.

It hurt. She ground a little as she felt the uncomfortable force.

"Say uncle," Bobby said in a teasing voice.

Rogue didn't say anything. She just tried to reach the boy with her free arm.

"Come on Rogue," Bobby pushed, "say uncle."

Nightmare watched this as he faced Sam.

A sense of anger filled up behind his eyes.

As Cannonball went in for another attack, he dodged and ran to Iceman and Rogue.

He grabbed on to Bobby's hand and twisted it, not so it was behind his back, but still in front of him.

The hold was five times worse than the one he had on Rogue.

He knelt to the ground groaning in pain.

Nightmare put his face close to Bobby's and said, "it is one think to defeat your opponent. But to humiliate them is unacceptable."

Bobby tried to free his hand, but he could not. It felt like his whole arm was going to be wrenched out of its socket.

"Give up," Nightmare said, "and I will let go."

"ALRIGHT," Bobby yelled out, "I give! I give!"

Nightmare let go.

Bobby rubbed his hand and looked over to Sam who was looking on in shock.

Beast's voice came in over the intercom. "Bobby and Sam have been eliminated."

The two boys looked up towards the intercom.

"I don't believe this," Bobby said as Sam and he walked towards the exit door.

Rogue watched them leave before turning back to Nightmare.

"Thanks," she said rubbing her arm.

"There is no need," Nightmare stated. "You should never humiliate and opponent. I merely did so to teach him a lesson."

Rogue nodded. She continued to move through the city, but her ankle hurt very much.

She limped as she walked. The pain was too much to bear at this point.

Nightmare saw this.

He did not say anything. He just walked over to Rogue and took hold of her arm.

Rogue was about to yell at him for touching her, but stopped as he wrapped her arm over his shoulder.

"Lean on me," Nightmare requested.

Rogue did as was told.

She looked at Nightmare as they moved.

'_I don't get it,'_ Rogue thought in her mind. _'No murderer is this humane.'_

They did not speak for a while. They simply moved through the simulation city, looking for another team to fight.

Jean and Scott watched as Roberto and Ray moved towards the exit door of the danger room.

This was the second team that they beat today.

They always made a good team when they fought together. Something made a strong connection when they teamed up.

"Looks like we might win this one today," Scott claimed as Jean came floating back towards the ground.

Soon Beast's voice came on the intercom again. "Simulation will be changed in three, tow, one."

And after the count the city around them faded out, and was now a big rocky area.

Scott and Jean watched as it changed, bringing their attention back to each other when the transformation was complete.

"So," Jean began, "who's left in this contest now?"

"Don't know," Scott declared. "We'll just have to keep on our guard, until we're done for today."

They looked about the rocky area.

"Where do you want to go know," Scott asked the red head.

However she was not the one to answer the question.

"Let us make the decision for you," came Nightmare's voice.

They turned around to see Rogue and Nightmare standing nearby. They did not even hear them coming.

Jean lifted herself into the air.

Scott was about to go in for an attack, when he saw that Rogue was leaning against Nightmare, and keeping the wait off her left foot.

"What happened," he asked.

"Ah just sprained mah ankle," was all Rogue said. In her mind this was no time to be chit chatting.

Scott stood there. A look of concern formed across his face.

"Maybe you should sit the rest of this lesson out then," he commented.

Rogue was not interested in those words.

She took herself away from Nightmare's side and limped over to Scott.

"Ah don't think so," she said. A smile formed on her face showing that she wanted to keep fighting.

Scott smiled back at her. Rogue had always been strong. He sort of admired her for that.

"Alright," Scott said, "but I'm not gonna go easy on you."

The two began to circle each other, much like when Rogue fought Bobby.

Jean watched from where she floated in the air. A hint of jealousy formed on her face.

Nightmare looked up at her and said, "I guess that leave you for me."

Jean looked down at him. Her jealousy was replaced with rage, remembering what Nightmare had said to her.

She let out a blast of her psychic energy, knocking the madman flat on the ground.

He stood back to his feet only to have Jean lift him up in the air. She began to spin him around with her mind, wanting to punish him for his insult to her.

On the ground Scott finally made his first move. He aimed his visor at a rock wall above Rogue and blasted it.

She jumped out of the way of the falling rocks, ignoring the pain in her ankle.

Scott had hoped she would dodge.

As she was distracted by the falling rocks Scott grabbed her by the arms and pinned her against a nearby rock wall.

"Had enough yet," Scott asked in a teasing voice.

"Not at all," Rogue claimed.

She wrapped her right leg around Scott's and pulled with it, causing him to fall to the ground.

She then slipped off one of her gloves.

Hoping to "finish him off".

But Scott was ready for that.

He caught Rogue's right foot and pulled so she was on the ground as well.

And in not time he had her pinned.

Back up in the air, Nightmare was still spinning. Jean was not going to stop there.

With a simple twitch of her eyes she took her power away from Nightmare allowing him to fall back to the ground.

He landed on the ground and remained motionless. Not one muscle moved.

Jean floated towards the ground and landed so she stood over him.

"That's for calling me white trash," she said.

She then looked over to Scott who still had Rogue pinned to the ground.

She smiled at this. It looked like they had won another fight.

Rogue looked into Scott's visor as she struggled. She could not loose this fight. If she did Jean would never let her live it down.

It took her mere seconds to find a way out of Scott's grasp. She didn't eve think before acting.

She lifted her face up to his, and kissed him, touching his face with her skin.

Scott became shocked. He did not expect this to happen.

He groaned slightly before passing out.

Rogue pushed his unconscious body off of her and looked over to Jean.

The red head looked at Rogue with rage and jealousy. She couldn't believe Rogue just did that. It did not matter to her why the Goth did it, she had to pay.

"You bitch," Jean said in a voice full of anger.

With one wave of her hand she raised a huge rock into the air.

Rogue's eyes focused on the rock. She had no doubt that Jean would crush her with it.

Jean readied her hands, about to use full force to throw the rock at Rogue.

But it was then that Nightmare had risen from where he fell. He was not unconscious at all. Just waiting for the right moment to strike. And now seemed like the best time.

He grabbed hold of Jean's arm and squeezed.

Jean dropped the rock as she felt the pain surge through her arm.

"This is how you try to prove me wrong," Nightmare asked.

Jean didn't answer him. Instead she took off into the air, with Nightmare still holding on.

He kept his grip tight, not letting go until she surrendered to him.

Jean spun in the air, but it was no use. He would not let go.

In a last desperate attempt she lifted a rock the size of a basketball off the ground, pulling it towards Nightmare at full force.

Nightmare saw the rock coming, and figured this was the best time to release his grip.

He let go and once again fell towards the ground.

The rock kept flying and hit Jean in the stomach before she could stop it. She was lucky it didn't kill her.

She hit the ground a short time after Nightmare did, but the cloaked madman was the only one to stand up.

"Jean and Scott have been eliminated," came Hank's voice from the intercom.

Nightmare looked at Jean as she lay helpless on the ground, breathing heavily from the blow.

"You brought forth your own downfall," he said. "You keep up your ways and you will learn that lesson in a much harsher manor."

He turned to walk away. He seemed much more calm now, hoping that Jean had learned something today.

Sadly she did not.

In a fit of rage she let loose a burst of her powers towards Nightmare.

He felt the force against the back of his body as he was pushed forward.

The energy slammed him head first into the rock wall nearby, knocking him out instantly.

"Oh mah God," Rogue said as she saw what Jean had just done.

She looked at the red head.

Jean's eyes were full of anger. She seemed to have no regret for what she did.

Rogue took her attention off of Jean and put it on Nightmare.

The young madman laid on the ground. A small amount of blood was running from his head.

He was stuck in the darkness of his mind, as Rogue ran to get Beast from the monitor room.


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note to Cat2fat900: You seem to really understand Nightmare. I thought no one would get him at all, but I'm glad he makes sense to you. I don't understand why no one else has reviewed this story yet. But hey, I'll keep it interesting for you.

For a while darkness was his only companion. That cheap shot from Jean left him in a blackened state.

Soon the blackness began to slip away as he returned to consciousness.

Nightmare shook his head as he sat up. After a while of collecting his thoughts he saw that he was no longer in the institute.

He was outside, in the fresh air. It was so bright. The sun had shown in the sky.

The only thing that was dark now was himself, as he stood wrapped in his black cloak.

How strange this was. He was just in the institute. How could he have gotten here?

"This isn't right," he said. "I was just in that danger room training with the X-Men."

He moved about his new surroundings. What was going on?

He moved through the area. His confusion began to swell in his mind.

It was then that he heard the sound of a woman's voice. It was calling out through the air, like a bird's wings fluttering in the wind.

"Ivan," it called. "Ivan."

Nightmare had heard that name before. It had been so long since anyone had uttered it.

He began to follow the voice. It was so familiar.

"Ivan."

He continued to follow, moving through trees covered in flowers, raining petals as he moved.

"This can't be," he said as he moved, "it can't be her."

"Ivan."

At least he reached a clearing. The voice had come from there.

Nightmare looked through to see the source. And he saw it.

It was a woman. A woman dancing with a man. They were a couple in their thirties, holding each other close as they danced slowly in the sunlight.

Nightmare's hollow eyelids turned wide. He knew these people. He knew he would never see them again, but in some twisted mistake in fate they stood before him.

The woman looked over to him.

The couple stopped dancing and faced the cloaked figure.

A smile formed on the woman's face.

"Ivan," she said. "What took you so long. Come to us."

She held out her hand for Nightmare to approach it.

And he did, slowly.

How strange it was to him, to here his real name being spoken again.

"Mother," he said to the woman, and then looked to the man. "Father."

He reached for the woman's hand, wanting to touch it once again.

But before he could the hand was retracted.

Nightmare looked to the man and the woman.

They began to change.

Instead of the beautiful couple that stood in the middle of the clearing, there were two hideous figures.

Their skin had become a pale gray. It hung off their bones as if they had been dead for quite some time.

Their lips were curled back in a snarl exposing their badly decayed teeth.

The woman let out a hideous scream and leapt at Nightmare pinning him to a nearby tree.

The man soon joined her.

The man spoke as he stared at his former son against the tree.

"Why did you let us die," he said. "After all we did for you, you went and let us die. Why didn't you do anything?"

Then the woman spoke.

"And now look at what you have done. The people you hurt, the pain you caused, was it all worth it in the end."

The man grabbed hold of Nightmare's face.

"I'd say it's time you went back to your new daddy."

Nightmare looked passed the tow ghoulish figures.

Behind them another familiar figure descended from the sky.

The young madman became alarmed.

"Shamen," he yelled out as he saw the tall man approach him.

Shamen lifted his hand up to Nightmare's face as the man and woman disappeared.

"And so the nightmare ends," he said as he pulled a knife out of his trenchcoat.

He stabbed it towards Nightmare's chest.

Suddenly the cloaked psychopath awoke in the infirmary of the Xavier Institute.

He was lying on a table under a bright light. It had all been a dream.

Nightmare reached his hand to his face. His hood had been pulled off his head, but his black cloth mask was still in place.

He looked around. Mr. McCoy was away from him; collecting instruments he thought would be needed for Nightmare's wound.

To the left of Nightmare were Ororo and Rogue. No one seemed to know he was awake.

Rogue was sitting on a chair as the weather witch examined her ankle.

"You're lucky you didn't break it," Ororo stated. "But it still is pretty bad. You'll be walking with a limp for a while."

"Ah can live with that," Rogue said. "What about Nightmare, is he alright?"

"I'll be taking care of him now Rogue," Hank said from across the room. "Don't worry."

Nightmare sat upright giving everyone a quick shock.

Hank turned to him.

"Nightmare," he said with a start.

The cloaked figure looked to him.

Hank moved over to the boy and laid him back down gently.

"Don't sit up just yet," he said, "you've had a nasty bump, just rest."

"I need to rest," Nightmare said as he sat back up.

He could feel the warm blood soaked into his black mask. The hit was obviously more serious then he wished to reveal.

"Please Nightmare," Hank insisted, "we must check the wound to see how bad it is."

Once again he laid Nightmare back down.

The boy did not sit up this time. He watched as Hank brought the instruments over to the side for the table.

The furry man picked up a piece of clean white cloth and put his finger upon Nightmare's mask.

In an instant Nightmare hit Hank's hand away and stood to his feet.

The boy stood with his hands by his side looking at Hank.

"No one is to see my face," he said.

"But Nightmare," Hank stated, "I have to see the wound."

Nightmare still kept his ground.

"Hank," he said, "I never let anyone see my face. This mask has covered it for years. Even when I eat I simply slide food under it, so no one can see. My mask will not be removed."

"Nightmare please," Hank said.

Still the cloaked figure refused.

"I ask you," he said, "respect my wishes. The professor has had my personal items taken away for "safety reasons". Allow me to keep my face covered."

Hank listened to the boy. His voice was so serious. He really did not want anyone to see his face.

The furry man sighed in defeat, wanting to respect Nightmare's wishes.

"What about your wound," he asked.

"I will take care of it," was Nightmare's answer. "I have done it before."

Hank nodded. "Very well. We'll leave you alone to let you tend to your wound."

With that he left the room.

As he did so he heard Nightmare's voice say, "thank you."

Beast was followed by Ororo and Rogue out of the room.

They moved a few feet away from the door when Rogue stopped.

She waited for the two to leave. Neither of them knew she waited behind.

The Goth limped back to the room Nightmare was in.

She knocked on the door and waited for a reply.

"I thought I made it clear that no one was to be in here while my mask is off," Nightmare said.

"Nightmare," Rogue said. "It's me Rogue. Is it alright if Ah come in?"

There was no reply.

"Look Nightmare," Rogue said, "Ah promise Ah won't look at your face."

There was silence at first.

Then Nightmare's voice came through.

"Come in, and lock the door."

Rogue did as instructed.

When she entered the room she saw Nightmare facing a wall on the far side of the room.

He looked at a mirror that had been placed in the room.

In his hand was a needle with some stitching thread.

His mask was on the table nearby.

He stitched his own wound. He gave slight groans of pain as he did it, but he could stand the hurt.

Rogue looked at the back of his head. He had long black hair, much like Kurt's except more messy.

Rogue walked back to the chair where she sat when Ororo looked at her ankle.

When she sat down she looked back to Nightmare.

"Are you okay?"

"Fine," Nightmare said. "I've had worse in my lifetime."

He pulled the needle upward tightening the stitch slightly.

"What happened with Jean," he asked.

"Nothing," Rogue said in disgust. "She made up some lame excuse claiming that she lost slight control of her powers after that rock hit her. Every one believed her of course."

Nightmare said nothing, but it was obvious that he was mad. He always hated when crimes got away unpunished. He had seen it too many times.

Rogue tried to take her mind away from Jean.

"By the way," she said, "thank you."

"For what," Nightmare asked.

"For letting me lean against you when Ah hurt mah ankle," she said. "For getting Bobby off me when he wrenched mah arm. And of course for stopping Jean from crushing me with that rock."

Nightmare finished up the stitching and cut the thread. He quickly slid his mask back on and put his hood back over his head, keeping his face in shadow once again.

"I had to do those thing," he said turning to Rogue. " I could not sit by and do nothing."

Rogue nodded. That made sense to her. But it was still strange that a psychopath would be willing to help another.

Nightmare took a few steps closer to the Goth.

"Why did you wish to team up with me anyway," he asked her.

Rogue shrugged before answering.

"Ah thought it was kind of cold how every one else didn't want to team up with you. It was like they were treating you like an outsider. The Prof. has taught us not to do that, but Ah don't know why they still did it with you."

Nightmare cocked his head slightly. "So you did it out of pity."

"No," Rogue insisted. "Ah did it because Ah know what it's like to be an outcast. For some reason Ah didn't want you to feel the same way."

Nightmare nodded.

"I see," he said. "It's strange. At first you seemed afraid of me. Why not now?"

Rogue gave a light smile as she spoke, "Ah have to admit Ah am still a little afraid of you."

She stood to her feet. "But Ah'm getting used to you."

"That quick," Nightmare asked. "I expected a much long process. Most humans look at a madman with scorn. They say he is nothing but a monster. They laugh at a madman, not knowing it is we who laugh and know better."

Rogue listened to the young madman's words. He was not at all like anyone she had met before. He was the only person who did not try to hide what he truly was. Sure he wore a mask, but he kept nothing hidden.

He seemed to be the most honest person she had met. Always saying what he thinks, not afraid to be who he is.

Nightmare turned away from Rogue and to the door.

"How does one get back to the main floor from here," he asked.

Rogue walked to his side.

"Just follow me," she said, "Ah have to get ready for school anyway?"

Every one was eating breakfast when Rogue and Nightmare entered the room. They still had a half-hour before they had to get going to school.

Rogue limped in wearing her normal Gothic attire. It was going to be difficult getting around today, but she knew she could handle it.

Nightmare followed her in. He looked around the kitchen slowly, gazing at every one at the table, until he saw who he was looking for.

Jean sat at the table, eating her breakfast, as if nothing had happened.

Slight anger swelled within Nightmare, but he was wise to keep it at bay.

Finally he heard the Professor speaking to him.

"Nightmare, if you wish to sit down and have some breakfast you can," he said. There is no need to keep yourself at a distance."

"I prefer to stand," he said.

Jean and Scott finished their breakfast and stood from the table.

"If you'll excuse us, we've got some things to take care of in town today," Scott stated.

The teens said their good byes as the tow love birds left the room.

They walked towards the door, however Nightmare still stood in front of it.

Jean crossed her arms over her chest in a stubborn fashion.

"Do you mind," she asked rather rudely.

Nightmare did not move at first.

He leaned his face closer to the redhead's so only she could hear his words.

"If you pull a stunt like that on me again," he said, "you will feel the full force of my rage."

Jean gave a cocky grin and said sarcastically, "I am petrified."

Nightmare moved out of the way and allowed Jean and Scott to pass.

As soon as they were gone he moved to the table. He did not sit down; he simply stood nearby, watching the meal.

He looked across the table and saw the girl known as Tabitha sitting with Remy at the table. They spoke with each other talking happily, like a couple that had been dating for years.

Nightmare turned his gaze to Rogue. She kept one turning her gaze back to Remy as she ate her breakfast. As if she was yearning something that she could not have.

The killer knew what it was instantly. Rogue had a crush on this Remy character. How sad she seemed.

Once again Nightmare's attention was taken away by the Professor's voice.

"Nightmare," he said, "Seeing as the other students will be at school today you will pretty much be the only teen here. I just would like to know what you plan to do with yourself all day?"

Nightmare took his gaze off of Rogue and said, "I only wish to do a little wondering around this institution. Try and get my surroundings."

And with that he left the room, feeling no more reason to stay. There was something he had to do.

He made his way out of the kitchen. In the next room he saw Jean and Scott again.

Jean was racking through her purse as Scott waited impatiently next to her.

"Come on Jean, we've got to get going," Scott pushed, trying not to sound irritated.

"Just a minute," Jean claimed. "I can't find my credit card. I know I put it in here."

Nightmare ignored them and made his way upstairs.

He moved through the hallway. He knew exactly where he was going. He had a sense of something that he needed coming from a certain room upstairs.

After walking for a while he stopped in front of a specific door. The door that entered into Logan's room.

Nightmare slid his hand along the door. He remembered seeing Logan downstairs at the breakfast table, so he did not have to worry about getting caught yet.

He reached his hand into his sleeve and pulled out Jean's credit card. He had taken it when he leaned close to her to threaten her.

He slid the card in the crack of the door and fiddled with it slightly until the door was unlocked.

Happy his break in was a success he made his way into the room.

Inside the room he walked to Logan's closet. He turned the knob and opened it.

Inside was the box that contained his personal items.

He pulled it out and opened it up.

Inside it his weapons rested. Their clean metal surface gleamed with beauty in Nightmare's mind.

He reached his hand inside and pulled out his ax.

"It has been so long since I have held you," he said. "But now you are back in my grasp where you belong."

He slid his ax into the back of his cloak, where there was a sheath sown in the back of his black robe.

He grabbed the sickle and the machete and put them in the odd holsters in the belt around his waist.

With a smile under his black mask he said, "I am now complete."

And so he left the room, and headed downstairs, hoping not to be seen by the X-Men quite yet.

Rogue waited in the garage for the other students to get ready for school. She was the only one of the younger students that had her license now other than Kurt.

Kitty of course was far from ready to take her driver's test.

So that left Rogue to be the chauffeur on occasions. And today was he day to drive.

Normally she would have walked, but since her ankle was injured, she had no choice.

She sat on the roof of the car the Professor bought for her as a gift.

It was black, and sleek; made beautifully right down to the tires. It matched Rogue well.

After what seemed like forever Kitty, Kurt and Amara entered the garage. The rest of the students found their own ways of transportation.

Rogue stood up from the hood of her car with slanted eyes.

"What took you guys so long," she asked in a very irritated voice. "We should have left ten minutes ago. Ah can't afford to be late for class again."

"Sorry Rogue," Kurt stated, "Kitty just took some extra time fixing her hair."

"Hey," she blurted out, "it took some time to get it the way I like it."

Rogue just rolled her eyes and got into the driver's seat. The others got in as well and off they all went to school.

But none of them knew about the unexpected guest hidden under the car.

Below the vehicle Nightmare hung onto some pipes as the ground whizzed by him. The car was low to the ground and he hoped that his back would not scrape against anything.

Rogue's car continued down the road as Nightmare held on.

He was now in the outside world. Where he had waited to be for so long.

However his intentions for today were not of an evil nature. He simply wanted to observe the students of the Xavier Institute as they went to school, in order to learn more about them.

The car made its way to the school with a psychopath hidden below it.

The Crimson Hands stood hidden from view as they watched the students of the Bayeville High School.

Many were young and fit. Perfect for hunting. Oh how they wanted to begin now, but they had to wait till nightfall.

It was lunch now, giving them a perfect opportunity to observe the students.

Stalker stroked the handle of his Pitchfork as he watched the many teens. His eyes focused in on one particular girl. A rather odd young woman in his opinion.

She was very pale and had white streaks in her hair. But there was something else about her that interested her.

He watched her as she sat against a tree, alone, reading a book. She seemed oblivious to everything around her.

Butcher leaned in behind his comrade.

"Is that the girl you saw in your vision," he asked.

"Yes," Stalker answered as he nodded. "The one I saw with the blackened figure. Her eyes were missing, but she did not seem in pain."

"Do you know what it means," Butcher asked.

Stalker shook his head. "I only see omens of the future, not what might actually happen."

Nearby them Scarecrow, Clowny, and Hunter watched the many teens.

"All these hearts beating," Hunter said as he paced back and forth, "it's driving me mad."

"Calm down," Scarecrow insisted. "We'll leave as soon as we can find a few victims for tonight."

Hunter continued to pace as he said, "lets find more of a challenge tonight. Those Jocks were a little too easy. We should find something that will make father proud tonight."

"We will," Scarecrow claimed, "I assure you."

They kept watching hoping to see a worthy kill soon.

Across from them they were unaware that another was watching as well.

Nightmare kept himself out of view as he watched Rogue.

There was just something about her that kept him intrigued. She was unlike anyone he had ever known. She was much more complex then anyone else.

At the tree Rogue kept reading. She did not see the three figures walking towards her.

"Well, if it isn't the pale freak," she heard a cruel voice say.

"Oh great," Rogue said unhappily as she turned around.

Sure enough it was Sarah and her goons.

Nightmare watch from his hiding place.

"Who are these people," he asked himself.

Back at the tree Rogue stood to her feet.

"What do you guys want now," she asked the three members of the popular crowd.

Billy walked up to Rogue and put his face close to hers.

"Come on freak," he said, "we figured you would know by now after all we've been through together."

"Yeah, well can you save it for today," Rogue demanded, "Ah'm not in the mood."

The three didn't say anything.

Jeremy walked over to Rogue and saw the book in her hands.

He took it from her and start5ed flipping through it. "What the hell is this trash you're reading?"

"Give that back," Rogue said angrily, trying to reach for her book.

Sadly Sarah pushed her away.

"It looks to me like a Vampire novel," she said, "what's the matter Rogue, missing the family."

"Just give it back," Rogue said with more persistence, "it's not mine, Ah got it from the library."

"Is that so," Sarah said.

She looked over to Jeremy with cruelty in her eyes.

Jeremy knew what she wanted him to do.

In only a few seconds he ripped a few pages out of the book.

Rogue's eyes turned wide. She reached for the book again.

This time Billy pushed her away.

She slammed against the tree very hard, but still managed to recover. It was strange how no one seemed to notice what was going on. But that did not matter at this time.

Jeremy ripped a few more pages out of the book. He threw them into Rogue's face before slamming the book on the ground.

They all walked away as Sarah called back, "see you later freak."

Rogue was so mad at this time. Why did those people have to keep tormenting her?

Right now she did not care. She looked down at the pages of her book on the ground and began to pick them up.

Nightmare had watched the whole thing from where he was hiding. He would have tried to help Rogue, if there were not so many witnesses.

But still he felt he had to do something.

"This cannot be allowed," he said angrily.

He turned to Sarah and her thugs as they were walking away. And he followed them, trying to keep hidden at all times.

He followed the trio to Billy's car at the other end of the school. Billy opened the door and through his backpack into the car.

"I've got no more reason to stay," he said, "I'll catch you guys latter."

Jeremy waved goodbye and left.

However Sarah's goodbye was much more.

The two shared a long and passionate kiss before she left her boyfriend.

Billy watched his friends leave and turned to his car. He reached for that door handle, but he did not get the chance to open it.

He felt something hit him from behind. His face was slammed against the top of this car twice, and then he was pinned. He was held so he could not look behind himself.

Nightmare's voice spoke in his ear.

"I've always hated people like you. Always assuming that you can treat people like trash, just because you think you are better then they are. How many people have you hurt in your life. Ten, twenty, maybe more. Better make sure you know when you die. Those marks are not good at heaven's door. You just better hope your popularity serves you well, in Hell."

Nightmare slammed Billy against the car again. He found no need to use his weapons now. He did not want to cause too much of a commotion. Luckily for him Billy was now too afraid to speak.

Nightmare spoke again. "Leave the girl alone, or you will be seeing Hell much sooner than you would like to.

He then reached into Billy's pocket and pulled out a few ten-dollar bills.

"This should pay for the damages you've done," were Nightmare's final words before he left.

Billy turned around only o see that no one was there. He jumped in his car and drove away in terror.

Meanwhile Stalker had watched the whole thing from a hidden point.

His eyes turned wide behind his skull mask. That boy. He knew him well.

"Nightmare," he said in a voice full of rage.


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Notes to Cat2fat900: I appreciate you trying to get people to review my story. YOU ARE THE BEST!

As for your questions in your last review, I'm afraid I cannot answer them. I like my stories to be surprising and keep my readers in suspense. Don't worry all will be explained as soon as I get to it. Enjoy this chapter.

"Are you sure it was him," Shamen asked; his voice full of such anger it would frighten the strongest of humans.

Stalker stood in the abandoned warehouse with the other members of The Crimson Hands. He had told them exactly what he had seen at the High School. It had been so long since they were in the same town as Nightmare, and none of them were pleased.

Stalker nodded his head. "I am positive. I can never forget the bastards costume."

Shamen turned away from the others and walked to the window. The sun was going down and it would be dark soon. The hunt would have to go on, but he wished to hunt down different prey tonight.

Butcher walked the floor angrily. Just the thought of Nightmare's name made his blood boil.

"So is that what your vision meant," he asked Stalker.

The skull masked boy looked at him and said, "yes. When I saw Nightmare it became clear. That pale girl at the school must have been in contact with him. I should have known it when I saw her with no eyes in my vision. Nightmare is the only person that can see without them."

Near by them Hunter leaned against a wall. He took his shoulder away from it and punched the hard wood.

"I say we find the son-of-a-bitch a tare him apart," he suggested forcefully.

"We can't," Butcher disagreed. "We don't know where he's hiding."

"Well what about Scarecrow," Hunter said, "with his powers we could find him easily."

"Not easily," Scarecrow put in as he stood with the group. "This town is full of people. I'd only be able toe sense his life force if he was in an area where there aren't many people around. If he isn't then it could take me days to pinpoint him unless he was within a mile of me."

Hunter's anger grew. Her let out a long grunt as he slammed his pick ax against the ground.

Clowny watched his brother release his rage. He was angry himself, but he did not show it. He only spoke when he really wished to, and that was not very often. More often he spoke some deranged rhyme to give him pleasure.

Shamen turned away from the window.

"Enough of this discussion for now," he said. "The sun is falling. We must prepare for the hunt. I will be going with you tonight. And if we find Nightmare"

He paused as memories of the boy went through his mind. Nightmare was the only one who had ever overcome Shamen's manipulative ways. And he hated him ever since.

Shamen took a deep breath to calm himself and said, "just bring the traitor to me."

Rogue sat alone in the park as she watched the sun go down. She was not in the mood to stay cooped up in the Institute after getting home from school, so she had decided to drive around a little.

She had parked her car at the edge of the park and had walked through the calm spring air for a while. She was sitting down now to rest her injured ankle.

She sat and watched the sunset, trying to clear her thoughts of the many things that had happened to her this past school year. The whole Apocalypse incident was still in her mind.

To think that all of her friends nearly died.

Even though she had never admitted it, she did care about the X-Men. They were like the family she never had. And she could not bear to even think about loosing them.

But now Apocalypse was gone. Hopefully the X-Men would not have to deal with anything that serious for a while.

As she sat on the bench a dark and familiar voice came from behind her.

"It has been so long since I've seen anyone just sit down and think."

Rogue looked behind her to see Nightmare standing with his arms at his side.

The Goth stood up with a started.

"Nightmare," she said in shock. "What the Hell are you doing outside the Institute? If you're caught the Prof. will get in huge trouble."

"Then I won't get caught," Nightmare assured.

He moved over to the bench. His weapons hung from their holsters.

Rogue could not help, but look at them.

"Where the Hell did you get those," she asked, pointing at the deadly objects.

Nightmare looked to his belt, gazing at his precious weapons.

"They are mine," he said. "I have had them for a long time."

Rogue cocked an eyebrow up. "Ah doubt the Prof. will let you carry those around the Institute."

"Frankly," Nightmare said, "I do not care. These weapons have been with me for far to long for me to part with them again. They are more than mere objects to me."

Rogue was beginning to feel a little afraid. She felt no one should be so close to blades, unless they are truly homicidal.

He stood next to the chair, not wishing to sit down.

"What are you thinking about," he asked the pale girl.

Rogue placed her attention on Nightmare. It felt odd to be talking while she sat and he stood, but she did not want to stand up as well.

"Ah suppose if Ah make up something you'll just know Ah'm lying," she stated.

Nightmare only nodded.

Rogue rolled her eyes and said, "Ah was just thinking about the dance that's coming up. It's tomorrow night and as usual Ah have no one to go with."

Nightmare moved from the side of the bench to the back of it. He began to pace back and forth behind it.

"Tell me Rogue," he asked, "what are your feelings towards that Cajon boy Remy?"

"What," Rogue asked somewhat sternly.

"Is it he you wish to go to that dance with," Nightmare asked. "I've seen the way you look at him. When I was first introduced to the students I saw you looking at him. Your eyes full of painful love."

Rogue sighed in defeat. She knew there was no point in hiding he feelings for Remy from Nightmare. He'd be able to see right through her.

"Ah have a crush on him ok," she said. "But there is no chance of him and me hooking up."

"And why is that," Nightmare asked.

Another sigh passed Rogue's lips. However this one was full of sadness. "He's going to the dance with Tabitha. And Ah can already see some sparks between the two of them."

Nightmare stopped pacing behind the bench. He stepped to the front and sat next to Rogue.

"I can tell it brings you pain," he said.

"Yeah," Rogue said. "Yeah it does. It seems that every time Ah grow to liking a guy, someone else always takes them away from me. First there was Scott, but Jean has him, and now Tabitha got Remy. Some times it just doesn't seem fair."

Nightmare nodded in agreement to Rogue's statement.

"There are many things that happen in life that are not fair," he said. "The challenge is to find a way to change it. I am sure you will find someone eventually."

Rogue smiled at Nightmare's words.

"Have you ever had a girlfriend Nightmare," she asked the young psychopath.

"Of course not," Nightmare said. "Those in my situations should not get to close to people."

Rogue slid a little closer to Nightmare.

"Have you ever been in love," she asked.

Nightmare took a deep breath.

"Once," he said.

Rogue listened to his words as he spoke.

"It was not too long ago," he said. "Her name was Kristen."

"One night I had gotten injured. He had taken me into her home and showed me nothing but kindness. Something I had not seen in years."

"She was a very pretty girl. Her hair was long and brown, with red tint. And she had perfect blue eyes."

He stopped speaking as he tried to remember the girl.

"So what happened," Rogue asked. "Did she already have a boyfriend?"

"No," Nightmare said. "There was a situation at the time. So one night I just left."

Nightmare did not wish to reveal the full details of what had happen during the time he knew Kristen.

"Why did you leave," Rogue asked in disbelief.

Nightmare paused before answering. "There were complications. Complications that I could not put her through."

Rogue sat and thought about this. "Well, I guess that makes sense."

Her thoughts changed instantly. "No, that doesn't make sense. Nightmare, you passed up something that could have been great."

"I know," Nightmare said. "But it was something I had to do. And now I am forced to live with it."

Rogue looked sadly at Nightmare. For that one sentence she could detect a hint of suffering in Nightmare's voice.

She leaned her back against the back of the bench.

"Ah guess we have something in common," she said. "We both seemed to be destined to be alone."

Nightmare stood from the bench and began to walk away.

"I am destined to be alone," he said. "You can still try and find someone. I want you to keep looking."

Rogue watched as Nightmare walked away; ready to disappear into the darkness that was coming fast.

The Goth stood from the bench quickly saying, "wait, don't leave yet."

The cloaked boy stopped.

"Why not," he asked.

"Ah just don't want to be alone right now," Rogue answered. "Ah need someone to talk to, Nightmare."

The young madman turned back to Rogue.

"Ivan," he said.

Rogue's face turned to curiosity.

"What," she asked.

"My real name is Ivan," Nightmare said again.

Rogue paused for a moment. A smile formed on her face.

"Ah'm Marie," she said.

Nightmare walked back over to her. "Alright then," he said. "Marie"

All was quiet at the Brother Hood house. The darkness came rolling through around it as the sun disappeared behind the trees.

Inside the house the Brother Hood was doing what they normally did every day. Lounge around the house.

As usual Wanda was in her room, far away from the men of the house.

She sat at her dresser and starred at herself in the mirror.

"I can't stay in this house much longer," she said. "Every day it always the same damn thing. That creep Todd keeps hitting on me, while the rest just sit around as if the world has just stopped."

She stood up and moved from her dresser to the window.

Her eyes moved across the night sky as her thoughts wondered. She felt so out of place here now.

She turned her attention to the ground.

She looked over the outside as she said in her mind, "_I should just leave here. I could make it on my own. Why the hell do I bother to stick around here? It's not like I wait what's that?"_

Her thoughts were interrupted when her gaze came across someone standing in the back yard.

She opened the window up to shout at the guy, but then she got a better look at him.

It was some nut job wearing a clown mask.

From the window she could here him talking to himself; saying some weird rhyme.

__

One two, buckle my shoe.

Three four, butcher the whore.

Five six, kill all pricks.

Seven eight, lay them strait.

Nine ten, kill again.

He continued to say this as he stood in wait.

Wanda narrowed her eyes. She was in the mood to fight tonight. However she did not want any help.

Slowly she stepped out of the window and grabbed onto the drainpipe. She slid to the ground and made her way over to the stranger.

"What do you think you're doing her creep," she said revving up her hex power.

The stranger looked to her.

"Clowny has his reasons," he said. "And all of them have to do with you dying."

Wanda's eyes filled with anger. No one threatened her.

He aimed her hex at a nearby tree, causing the branches to bend into claws. She readied them to grab the man in the clown mask.

However she was stopped in the act.

Someone grabbed her by the hair and placed a cold metal hook up to her neck.

"Don't move," came Hunter's voice from behind her. "We wouldn't want that pretty little neck of yours to get punctured now would we?"

Wanda ignored his threat and used the tree branches to lift of Clowny. With a twitch of her eye the branches slammed the killer twice against the ground before releasing him.

Hunter did not seem alarmed, instead he seemed exited.

"Oh yes," he said. "It looks like you will put up more of a fight."

Wanda kept her eyes on the clown as it stood back to its feet.

Her eyes were wide with shock. No normal human would be able to stand back up after two blows like that.

Hunter laughed from behind her.

"Our friend Clowny doesn't feel pain," he said. "His abilities prevent it."

With those words he took his hook and pulled the point into Wanda's shoulder.

The girl let out a cry of pain as the other members of The Crimson Hands came out from hiding.

They stood around her as Hunter held her.

Shamen was with them. He walked over to her and looked her dead in the eyes.

"Call your friends," he said.

Wanda did not. She wanted to use her hex on this guy, but she knew is she did the man that held her would kill her.

Shamen lifted his hand to her wound and squeezed it.

"Does this hurt," he asked as Wanda groaned in pain.

He did not wait for an answer. "Call friends and I will let go."

He made his grip harder.

Wanda could only scream louder.

Scarecrow and Wardog knew that would be enough to attract their prey.

They moved to the door taking Hunter's chain with them.

Inside the house Pietro lifted his head up.

"Did you hear that" he asked his fellow mutants.

Lance stood to his feet, "it must be Wanda. It sounds like she's hurt."

Pietro turned to the front door. He kicked his mutant ability in and ran out the door faster than anything on Earth.

Unfortunately he did not know of what was going on outside the door.

At the bottom of the front step Wardog and Scarecrow had Hunter's chain stretched out.

Pietro tripped over the chain and fell to the ground.

Wardog dropped the chain and moved towards the fallen boy.

Pietro lifted his head up from the ground. Wardog greeted him, with the his bayonet in the boy's right leg.

Pietro screamed in pain as the other members of the Brother Hood came outside.

Toad saw Wanda being held by Hunter.

"Let her go," he demanded as he leapt into the air.

He shot his tongue at the foe.

Shamen stood in front of Hunter, garbing the mutant's tongue. He pulled it to the ground. Toad soon followed.

Butcher went over to his leader and pulled out his small knife, and used it to pin Toad's tongue to the ground.

Toad screamed out in pain.

Avalanche and Blob stood in their fighting stances. They were prepared to fight with all of their abilities.

Stalker and Scarecrow stood in front of them. Wardog and Clowny joined them.

They all stood with their weapons ready, hoping for a good fight.

On the ground Pietro pulled the bayonet out of his leg. The limb was now to injured for him to use his powers.

He began to crawl back inside the house, he planned to do the only thing he could do.

The members of The Crimson Hands ignored him. At this point in time he did not seem like much of a threat.

However Shamen watched him crawl into the house.

"Children," he said, "have fun slaughtering your prey. I will join you again after I take care of a matter of my own."

The killers nodded before lunging at Lance and Fred.

And so the fight had begun.

Toad pulled the knife out of his tongue and went to help his comrades.

As the others faced off Hunter kept his grasp on Wanda. He pulled his hook out of her shoulder and put it into her left leg.

"I'm going to let you go," he said. "Afterwards I want you to put up the best fight you can. Run if you want to. Just make it fun for me."

He took his hook back and threw Wanda to the ground.

The Red Witch stood to he feet and readied her hex.

Hunter smiled behind his mask.

"Good," he said. "Now I have some sport."

The battle raged through the night. It was uncertain who would be the victor, but it was going to be brutal for sure.

The phone rang in the Xavier Institute.

Kitty ran over to it and picked it up.

"Hello," she said in her usual perky voice.

She was very surprised to hear Pietro on the other end.

"Kitty, you've got to help us," he said. He sounded as if he were in pain.

"There are these guys at our house. They injured me, toad, and they got Wanda. I can here the others fighting them outside. There's so much screaming. I don't think they're winning."

Kitty could her the fight in the background along with the laughter of madmen, and an occasional scram of pain.

"Pietro," Kitty said, "like just calm down. Who's attacking you?"

"I don't know," Pietro insisted, "just some nut jobs. I can't contact Magneto, so we need your help. Just get down here stop these freakin' psychopaths."

Another voice came into play on the other end of the phone. It sounded close to Pietro, and it seemed very mad.

"Do not bother calling for help," it said, "there is nothing stopping your blood from being spilled."

Kitty heard Pietro shout in pain before the phone was disconnected.

Fear became sprawled over Kitty's face. She dropped the phone and ran through the Institute, calling for Xavier as she ran.

"Professor! PROFESSOR!"


	7. Chapter 7

Author's Notes to Cat2fat900: You have succeeded. Someone else has read my story. I LOVE YOU! YOUR ARE THE BEST! Enjoy this chapter.

Notes to Finger905: I spelled Cajon wrong? I must be an idiot. Keep reading please.

The darkness was illuminated by the light of the moon.

Rogue and Nightmare remained in the park as the night wore on.

The Goth just talked to Nightmare about many things. The difficulty of her powers, her troubles at school, and many other things.

Normally the other X-Men would give Rogue lame statements of comfort that did not work, or they would try to think of solutions, but come up with none that would suffice.

But Nightmare just listened. And it felt good to Rogue to talk about her problems. That was all she really wanted. Someone to talk to.

When she was finished speaking Nightmare said, "that all seems like a heavy burden to bare."

"Ah know," Rogue said as she nodded. "But the hardest thing to deal with is mah powers. Do you have any idea how hard it is to not be able to touch anyone?"

Nightmare did not answer her at first.

Rogue continued. "Ah mean is it so much to ask for just someone to hold me; to be able to give someone a simple hug without having to worry about destroying them."

Rogue tried to hold back her tears as her voice filled with sadness.

She then said with a voice full of pain, "it almost feels like God hates me."

Nightmare turned around after Rogue said that. He stopped in front of her, blocking her path so she could not walk any further.

"Do not say that," he said as if he were somewhat angry with her statement.

"Why not," Rogue asked. "That's what it seems like to me."

"Rogue," Nightmare said, "there are many things that happen in this world that are difficult for mankind. Sometimes a person's faith is all they have left. God is not trying to hurt you Rogue. You cannot feel the way you feel about him."

He turned away from her. "It is important not to loose your faith Rogue. I lost it a long time ago. And it pains me to know that I have no hope. I don't want you to turn out like me."

Rogue listened to his words. She did not consider herself to be a faithful person, yet she never was an atheist. She did not go to church, or read the bible. But almost every night she prayed. She prayed to God to let her be able to touch again. And so far her prayer had not been answered. She could not just ignore that.

"So what are you saying," she asked Nightmare. "Should Ah just forget that Ah've been cursed with mah mutant powers."

Nightmare thought about it.

"Well Rogue," he began, "have you made any progress with your ability?"

Rogue crossed her arms over her chest. She did not know where Nightmare was going with this.

"Well, when Ah first got mah powers Ah used to have the memories and personalities of people stuck in mah head. One night they took control of me. After that the Prof. has been working with me, and Ah've learned how to push them out of mah mind."

"Anything else," Nightmare asked.

Rogue thought. "Mah powers used to work instantly when Ah touched someone. Now Ah've been able to suppress it for a few seconds after mah skin touch another's. But after thirty seconds or so Ah get mentally exhausted and can't hold it back anymore."

Nightmare sucked in all this information.

"Wouldn't you consider that progress," he asked.

Rogue had not thought about that before. She had been so fixated on that fact that she could not touch anyone.

"You see Rogue," Nightmare said, "progress is being made with your powers. It is just going to take some time. You will be able to touch again. But until you can you have to live with your burden. It will be a difficult task, but its rewards will be great."

Rogue waited for all of this to sink in. Nightmare was right, she had made progress with her powers.

She was about to speak again when the Professor's voice entered her head.

__

"Rogue, Rogue, where are you."

His voice sounded worried.

Rogue jumped at the sound of his voice.

"You know Ah hate it when you do that," she said.

Nightmare cocked his head with curiosity towards Rogue's actions.

Rogue began the conversation in her mind.

__

"What's the problem," she asked.

__

"There is an incident at the Brother Hood House. They're under attack."

Nightmare watched Rogue as the Prof. told her of what was going on at the Brother Hood house. The Professor had not yet contacted him in his mind yet. It was very strange to him.

Rogue finished up the conversation.

"Ah gotta get going," she said in a panicked voice.

"What's happening," the young madman asked.

Rogue knew that Nightmare would not be able to help them with this. He was not even allowed outside the Institute walls. But she told him anyway.

"The Brother Hood is under attack."

She could tell that Nightmare had no idea who she was talking about.

"They're these people we know. Mutants like us. Not really allies, but not enemies either. They're being attacked by these weird guys and seem to be having a tough time with them. We gotta get over there and help them out."

After all was clarified Nightmare had a suspicion growing behind his empty eye sockets. He felt that this was the moment he had been dreading for a long time.

"What do these attackers look like," he asked.

"Ah don't know," Rogue claimed, "there was not description."

The Goth began to move towards her car. It was difficult because of her sprained ankle.

Nightmare caught up with her and grabbed her by the shoulder, turning her back to him.

"I'm going with you," he said.

"No Nightmare, you can't," she disagreed. "You shouldn't be outside in the first place. If any of the other X-Men catch you out here, there gonna start nagging the Professor to have you sent back to the mental hospital. Just let us handle this."

And with that, she left.

Nightmare watched her leave.

He waited for her to be out of sight before saying, "I'm afraid I cannot allow that Marie."

Toad landed hard on the ground. His whole body ached from fighting these killers. The Brother Hood was getting worn out, but the psychopaths kept on fighting. They just didn't give up.

Pietro was already on the ground, unconscious. Shamen had taken care of that a while ago.

Avalanche stood near Blob. Both were getting tired. They did not know how much longer they would be able to fight.

Wanda was still up against Hunter.

They circled each other, both suffering from wounds the other gave.

Hunter seemed to be enjoying it more and more. He always loved a challenge.

No matter what Wanda did, Hunter would still come right back in for an attack.

Toad tried to stand up, but his neck was grabbed by none other than Wardog.

The killer held him tightly with one hand as his other hand raise his big machete into the air.

"This will be painful," he said, "but at will be short. I hope you haven't been to attached to your face."

Just as he was about to jamb the blade right between Todd's eyes, a flash of red light came zipping through the air and knocked the blade out of Wardog's hand.

All that were fighting looked to its source.

Scott stood with his hand one his visor.

"This isn't happening today," he said.

Behind him were the other X-Men, except for Rogue.

Shamen looked at all these knew comers to the battle. He could tell that they were not human, but they were also not like him.

Wardog became enraged.

He pulled his bayonet out of his holster and held it up to Todd's neck.

"One more move an your friend can say goodbye to his throat."

All the X-Men stayed where they were. They did not come all this way to loose someone now.

Wardog nodded his head as he held his bayonet tightly.

"Very good," he said.

Without any warning he felt some kind of force pulling on his weapon. It was instantly pulled out of his grasp.

The weapon floated through the air until it reached the hand of Jean Grey.

The red head gave a cocky smile and said, "any other weapons you want me to take from you?"

Shamen looked at the many new enemies.

One of them held a deck of cards in his hand. He pulled one off the deck and seemed to charge it up.

"A gift for you mon amie," he said throwing the card at group.

It exploded between them, causing The Crimson Hand members to step back.

Shamen looked at the huge group. He knew they his children were out numbered.

"We cannot win this," he said.

The Crimson Hands then began to run in the opposite direction.

As they did a black car came zooming at them. It stopped in front of them, turning sideways to black their path. The Crimson Hand members stopped.

Rogue stepped out of the car and said, "going somewhere?"

Stalker looked at the girl.

He recognized her immediately.

Rogue slipped of on of her gloves as she waited for one of the killers to make an attack.

As she waited she saw Butcher break through his comrades with his sledgehammer heading right for her face.

She ducked out of the way as the sledge went into her car window.

The distraction allowed all the killers to slip passed her car. Butcher joined them instantly.

Rogue stood upright again as the other X-Men ran over to her.

"We can't let them get away," Scott ordered, "after them now."

The X-Men moved by Rogue and after the killers.

As they did Rogue could hear jean say, "we should have figured she'd let them escape."

Her eyes narrowed, but she did not let her anger get the best of her. She followed the

X-men knowing very well that they could not let these killers escape.

Up ahead Shamen looked back to their foes.

"Alright children," he ordered, "split up. Let us show them what true pain is all about."

His children did as commanded. They split up, all moving in different directions.

The X-Men stopped where the killers split apart.

Scott looked to his team and said, "everyone fan out, we can't loose any of these guys."

They all did as instructed, splitting up as well. They moved through the area, unprepared for what awaited them in the night.

Scott and Jean moved through the ally ways searching for the killers. There was nothing known about them. The X-Men did not know why they were here, why the attacked the Brother Hood, or anything of that nature. And that is what made them dangerous in this case.

The two lovebirds came around a corner. That was where they came in contact with Scarecrow.

He stood with his gaff in hand, ready to use it for pain.

Jean's eyes narrowed as she used her powers to lift up a nearby dumpster.

"If I were you I would have kept on running," she said.

Scarecrow began to stroke his weapon.

"I am no coward," he said. "And neither are my brothers."

Scott held his hand up to his visor.

"Who are you guys and what are you doing in Bayeville," he demanded.

Scarecrow remained as calm as could be. He did not even seem threatened by the two mutants that stood before him.

"We are The Crimson Hands," he said. "The end of life, and lovers of blood. We bring and end to the cruel human race, that has cast us aside, merely because of our differences."

"As for why were are here," he said before laughing. "We are here to shed blood."

Scarecrow began to walk towards them.

Scott kept his hand on his visor, and Jean was ready to drop the dumpster on the killer.

"Move one more step and I'll blast you to kingdom come," Scott said angrily.

Scarecrow did not stop walking.

"What could you do to me that isn't already worse then what I have suffered" he said.

"My body," he said as he slipped off one of his gloves, "is already a source of constant pain."

His hand was reveal, and it was covered in burn scars. His whole body was covered in burns. Every part of his body was covered with an agonizing scare. It they hurt every second of every day.

Jean and Scott's eyes turned wide when they saw this.

"You see," Scarecrow said, "I have experienced Hell. My whole body suffered the agony of fire."

He was now very close to the two lovebirds. They were too mesmerized by the scars to move.

"I have learned to handle the pain," Scarecrow said. "The question is, can you?"

It was then that Jean felt the sharp pain shoot through her shoulder.

She dropped the dumpster. Unfortunately it was no where near Scarecrow.

Scott turned to Jean, and finally noticed Wardog behind her.

He had his circular saw blade in the back of Jean's shoulder.

He reached down to Jean's hand, witch still held his bayonet.

The killer took it from Jean and said, "I believe this belongs to me."

Jean then passed out from the pain.

Scott was about to attack, but sadly had taken his attention away from Scarecrow.

Scarecrow pulled his small club out of his holster and hit Scott in the back of the head.

Scott fell to the ground and was surrounded by darkness.

Kitty and Kurt ran into an abandoned building where they saw two of the killers enter.

Fear was building up in their minds. Never have they seen real masked murderers before.

They had seen them in the movies, but they never thought they truly existed in real life.

When they got into the building they were surrounded by cobwebs and dust covered boxes.

The air was stale and was full of dust particles, making it difficult to breathe.

Kitty coughed as the two of them moved through the building.

"How come we can't here them coughing," she asked trying to hold back from coughing as well. "I'd figure no one could breathe in here."

"I don't know," Kurt claimed.

They moved closer into the building.

As they did Shamen stepped out of the shadows behind them.

He moved behind Kurt with absolute silence. Neither of the mutants were aware of his presence.

Kurt then said to himself, "if I was a nut job where would I hide."

Kitty snickered a little and said, "I suppose that Nightmare guy would be able to tell us if he were here." She was merely trying to lighten the mood.

"Doesn't that guy creep you out," she asked Kurt.

The blue mutant began to feel guilt swell up inside him. He did not feel right about being afraid of Nightmare. Just because he was insane, didn't mean he should have been treated like that.

Before Kurt could answer he heard a voice say from behind him, "Nightmare was one of my best pupils."

Kurt whipped around to see Shamen standing behind him.

The Killer grabbed onto Kurt's head and slammed it against a nearby wall, knocking him out.

Kitty turned to what had happened. Here eyes filled with terror.

Shamen looked at her.

Kitty finally saw that his eyes were only white, and that added on to her fear.

Shamen began to step closer to Kitty.

With every step he took, the prep stepped back.

"Back away, back away," Shamen said in a mocking voice. "Step by step. You're only prolonging the inevitable."

"You make that sound like a bad thing," Kitty said.

Shamen laughed. "You're nothing but a scared little girl. I can see it in your eyes. Without one of your precious friends nearby you are nothing but a frightened child."

"That's not true," Kitty said trying to give herself a mask of bravery. "Keep looking and you'll see I'm not afraid of you."

"Look at you," Shamen said. "Why would I want to do that. I've hated mankind for far to long. It is an ever-growing hatred that keeps on. Every morning I wake up with even more hatred towards them. You tell me to look at you, and what I see, is them!"

He slashed his claws at Kitty.

Kitty phased through his hand and ran away.

Shamen looked at his hand, seeing that it had gone through the girl.

"Impressive," he said.

Kitty then phased down into the floor.

"Very impressive," Shamen said. "You have special abilities."

Kitty phased quickly back up from the floor, but this time she was behind Shamen.

She jumped into the air and gave him a dropkick to the back, causing him to fall on the ground.

"Your right I have special abilities," Kitty said. "We all do. And when my friend find out where I am they're gonna totally beat you sensless."

Still Shamen laughed.

He stood back to his feet and turned to Kitty.

"I doubt that," he said. "Do you think your friends are the only ones that have abilities."

Kitty's eyes turned wide again. "You're mutants to?"

"Not at all," Shamen said, "we are the gifted."

Kitty's eyes narrowed. "That what powers could you possibly have," she asked sternly.

"You will see in time," Shamen said, "but for now I would like to introduce you to one of my children. Butcher."

Kitty turned around, and finally saw that Butcher was behind her.

Before she could move the killer hit her in the head with the handle of his sledgehammer.

Like Kurt, Kitty was knocked out cold.

Butcher laughed and pulled his saw out of its holster.

He held it over the girl's arm, ready to shed some blood. They didn't call him Butcher for nothing.

But before he could Shamen stopped him.

"No," he said, "we may need her to escape from her friends."

Butcher looked at his leader disappointed. But he did not wish to disobey him.

"As you wish father."

Rogue was alone as she moved through the ally ways. They had spilt up so quickly she did not think to go with someone else. Sadly there was nothing she could do about is now.

At this point in time her hurt ankle was getting the better of her. She sat down on top of a nearby crate and began to rub her ankle.

"Why the Hell do Ah have to be hurt on a night like this," she asked herself.

She did not know who she was going to fight any of those killers if she ran into one of them.

Normally when she fought she mostly used her legs. Using them to kick, flip, and many of other impressive moves. Now that she was hurt she would have to think of other ways to fight.

As she rubbed her ankle she said, "Ah'm starting to wish Nightmare was here,"

"So do I," a voice said from down the ally.

Rogue stood to her feet and looked down the ally.

At the end stood Stalker. His hands clasped around the pitchfork, ready to shed death.

However he was not alone. Clowny and Hunter stood with him.

Rogue took her gloves off and dropped them on the ground.

But what use could her powers be now, these killers had their bodies completely covered.

Stalker walked over to Rogue, with Clowny and Hunter right behind him.

"Who the Hell are you," Rogue demanded.

Stalker stopped in front of her and held his pitchfork up to her neck.

"How rude of me," he said. "I am Stalker. With me are Hunter and Clowny. Two of my brothers."

Rogue was frozen when she felt the pitchfork push against her neck. It did not puncture her skin, but it would if she moved.

"Aw, what's wrong Pretty," he asked, "you've never had cold metal pushed into your flesh."

Rogue did not speak. She did not want to anger this guy and have him kill her sooner than he wished.

Hunter walked closer to Rogue and put his masked face up to her bare face.

"Let me have her," he asked. "I need good thrill."

"No," Stalker said. "Not quite yet. We should use her to get away from the others. We could use a hostage. After we're away, then we'll kill her."

Stalker swung the handle of his pitchfork at Rogue's head, prepared to knock her out.

But it didn't happen.

Rogue ducked under the blow and swept the killer's leg.

Stalker fell to the ground.

Clowny and Hunter ran at her.

She barely managed to dodge them.

As quickly as she could she jumped into the air and pushed her feet off the wall and jumped over her two foes.

When she landed on the ground her injured ankle twisted a little causing her to loose her balance.

She fell down as Stalker stood up.

Hunter walked over to the fallen Goth and lifted her up.

"You shouldn't have done that Pretty," Hunter said.

He took his chain out of its holster and wrapped it around Rogue's neck. He held her so she faced Clowny.

Rogue could not breathe. Her airway was cut off.

Stalker held his left hand up as if requesting Hunter to stop.

"Wait," he said, "we my need her."

"I don't care," Hunter said. "She needs to be taught the true ways of death. And what better way to learn then experiencing it first hand Clowny, its time to have some fun."

Rogue looked up at the boy in the clown mask.

He held his cleaver in his hand, and he began to laugh insanely.

The killer moved over to Rogue, but did not try to kill her yet. He began to move around her as he said one of his favorite rhymes.

__

Clowny had a bloody girl,

whose courage was long gone.

And as she kneeled in her pain,

she realized something's wrong.

And Clowny came with blade in hand,

stained a bright bloody red.

And that poor girl could only scream,

as Clowny cut off her head.

He raised his cleaver into the air.

Rogue closed her eyes tightly hoping the pain would be over soon.

But nothing happened.

Before the blade could slice down another voice made its presence.

"Clowny," it said.

The voice caused all the killers to freeze.

Rogue opened her eyes and saw Nightmare standing in the ally.

He stood with his sickle and machete in his hands.

"Put it down," he said.

Clowny did as was told and lowered the cleaver.

Then Nightmare said to Hunter, "let the girl go."

Stalker looked at Nightmare. His eyes narrowed behind his mask.

"You," he said, full of hatred.

Hunter took his chain off of Rogue's neck.

The Goth coughed and wheezed as she tried to get air back into her lungs.

She stood to her feet and ran to Nightmare's side.

"I knew we would run into you sooner or later," Stalker said.

Nightmare just stood with his blades ready.

Hunter put his chain back at his side and pulled out his pickaxe.

"You have a lot of nerve showing your face again," he said. "I have the right mind to gut you where you stand."

"Like always," nightmare said, "I am ready to fight."

"Yes," Stalker said. "How like you."

Nightmare pushed Rogue gently behind him and stood, ready to protect her.

Stalker gave a quick snicker and said, "I see you found another whore to protect. Is she at all like that girl Kristen, or is there something else that captured your fancy."

Stalker looked at the Goth behind Nightmare.

"What does he see in you pretty? Does he have any twisted fantasies of F$#ing you, or does he simply enjoy your company."

Rogue whispered from behind Nightmare, "how do you know these maniacs."

"Just stay back," Nightmare said, "they're dangerous men."

"Dangerous men," Hunter said. "Is that all you can say about us after all we've been through together."

Nightmare did not answer.

In a fit of sudden rage Stalker charged at Nightmare with his pitchfork pointed at his stomach.

Nightmare's defense was swift. He pushed Rogue aside and allowed Stalker to run by him.

With another quick move he had Stalker in his grasp, holding his neck between his sickle and machete.

He turned back to Hunter and Clowny as they tried to go in for attacks as well.

"Don't move," he said.

The tow killers stopped, not wishing to harm their comrade.

Rogue stood back up from where she fell when Nightmare pushed her pout of the way of the pitchfork.

Nightmare glared at Clowny and Nightmare as he held Stalker close, so he wouldn't escape.

"Now," he said, "take me to Shamen."

Logan and Gambit moved quickly. They had not seen any trace of the others since they had split up.

"When the Hell are we gonna run into the others," Gambit asked as they moved.

"Just keep looking," Logan said, "we're bound to find them soon."

As they continued to look, Logan got a whiff of a sent that any one would know.

"Hold it," he said to Gambit. "I smell," he sniffed the air again, "gasoline."

Before Gambit could question his comrade, he felt the club hit against his head. He fell to the ground, not unconscious, but injured.

Logan turned, and saw a few of The Crimson hand members standing behind him.

"Gasoline is exactly what it is," Shamen said, holding a lighter in his hands.

Logan released his claws and prepared to split the man in two.

"I wouldn't do that," Shamen said creating the flame with the lighter. "Unless you want your friends to do an impression of the damned burning in Hell."

He pointed behind Logan.

The mutant turned around and saw the other X-Men laying flat on the ground, unconscious and covered in gasoline. A trail of gas lead all the way back to where Shamen was standing.

"Shall we watch them burn," Shamen asked.

Logan slid his claws back in.

"Alright," he said, "what do you want?"

"I beg your pardon," Shamen asked.

"You're holding my team hostage," Logan said, "there's gotta be something you want?"

"I want nothing," Shamen said.

"Then why are you doing this," Logan asked infuriated.

"Just for simple fun," Shamen said.

He laughed and said, "on the count of three I am going to drop this lighter upon the trail of gas. I hope you can move quickly kind sir. You will only have a matter of seconds to save your friends."

Logan slid his claws out again.

"One," Shamen said.

"Don't do it," Logan said.

The members of The Crimson Hands began to laugh.

"Two," Shamen said.

"You drop that lighter, and you better hope I don't kill you," Logan said.

"Three," Shamen said.

Before he could drop the lighter he heard a voice call, "hello!"

He knew that voice. Rage instantly swelled in him.

All the killers looked behind him.

Nightmare stood with Stalker in his grasp.

Rogue stood next to him.

Hunter and Clowny were with him as well, but they instantly walked over to Shamen.

"Forgive us father," Hunter said, "he got the better of us."

Shamen ignored them and kept his gaze on Nightmare.

"Nightmare," he said, "of all the people I want to kill, you are at the top of my list."

"I'm gonna kill Stalker Shamen," Nightmare said.

Stalker said nothing.

Shamen shook his head and said, "this act surprises even me."

Nightmare pushed his blades further towards Stalkers neck.

"I don't care what you say," Nightmare claimed, "he will live if you let the mutants go."

Shamen looked at him curiously.

"Still trying to do good," he said. "How pathetic."

Just then the unconscious X-Men began to stir.

Shamen looked back. They were regaining consciousness.

"No," he said.

All the X-Men stood up and soon realized what was going on. They looked to Nightmare who had one of the killers in his grasp.

Shamen looked back to Nightmare.

"It seems the tables have turned in my favor," Nightmare said.

Shamen nodded. But this was not done.

"Alright," Shamen said. "Kill him."

Stalker breathed in, somewhat panicked.

However Nightmare did not do anything.

"What," The young madman asked.

"I said go ahead and kill him," Shamen said.

Nightmare still didn't move.

Rogue leaned closer to Nightmare and whispered, "what are you waiting for?"

"Yes kill him," Shamen said. "Have him join your family."

Still Nightmare did not move. His hands began to shake.

Stalker finally spoke.

"You can't do it, can you?"

Shamen spoke again.

"I knew you wouldn't be able to kill Stalker."

Nightmare lowered his blades, and his hand fell limp to his side.

"Yes, that's right," Shamen said. "I knew how close you two were when you were still with us. You two loved each other like brothers."

Rogue and all the X-Men became shocked.

"What's he talking about," Rogue asked.

"Yes tell them," Shamen said. "Tell them the truth about yourself. I take it they've let you into their humble home, the least you could tell them is your past."

Nightmare shook his head.

"Please Shamen," Nightmare said. "Don't tell them."

Shamen turned back to the other X-Men.

"Nightmare used to be one of us," he said. "I took him in when he was a child, and I raised him as my own."

He turned back to Nightmare, but still spoke to the X-Men.

"He was an excalent killer," Shamen said. "Many innocent lives fell to his hands. But sadly he betrayed us long ago. Still I wouldn't be surprised if he still had his killing instincts."

All The Crimson Hand members smiled under their masks.

Stalker walked back to his comrades.

Shamen continued.

"We will shed no blood tonight," he said. "Nut we will come out next night. And Nightmare You are our target."

And with that they all ran away into the night.

The X-Men looked at Nightmare.

The cloaked madman knelt to the ground. His past had come back. He was now in despair.


	8. Chapter 8

Author's Notes: Sorry for my absence. I had writes block. Thanks to all who reveiwed.

Notes to MistressAudra: I'm sorry about my other fics. I stopped them because I kept on running out of ideas to put in them. Please forgive me. I will try my best to get back on track with them.

Notes to sheisbeautiful-sheisnotme: I'm glad you like my character. And I will try to keep updating as quickly as I can.

Notes to Finger905: You like Clowny huh? I know, he's just so crazy and cool.

Every one enjoy this chapter.

With all his will power, Nightmare tried to keep his emotions at bay as the X-Men stood around him in complete disbelief.

The Professor had known that Nightmare was a vigilante, but he did not know this boy had murdered innocent people.

The X-Men sat far away from him. The young madman would not allow them to take his weapons away from him again, so they kept their distance.

However Rogue was sat next to Nightmare. She did not know why, but she was not afraid of him now. To tell the truth, this new found information explained a lot about Nightmare.

She watched as Scott paced back and forth in front of Nightmare.

"I don't get it, how long," he said before stopping in front of Nightmare. "How long were you planning on keeping this from us?"

Nightmare remained quiet. He placed his hidden has into his hands.

"You're a murderer," Scott said, "how could you stay in this house without telling us that? You have betrayed us all beyond belief."

Nightmare stood to his feet.

"What would you have done," he asked, "if I had told you, what I was?"

Scott could not answer that question. He didn't have to. Nightmare already knew the answer.

"Scott," he said, "don't tell me there is nothing in your life that you regret."

The team leader looked at Nightmare questioningly.

"There's nothing," was his only answer.

"Oh come now," Nightmare said. "Tell the truth, and shame the devil."

The cloaked madman took a few steps closer to Scott.

"There is something isn't there," Nightmare said. "What was it. Did you hurt someone a long time ago? Or perhaps it was a horrible accident caused by that red death trap behind your eyes? We all have regrets Scott, and joining The Crimson Hands is mine. So until you can come to terms with the wrongs that you have committed, don't judge me."

Nightmare walked away from Scott and to a nearby window.

"Joining The Crimson Hands," he said, "was the biggest mistake of my life."

"Then why did you join them," Jean asked in a cruel voice.

Nightmare did not wish to look at her.

"I had my reasons," he said.

"That is like, the worst answer you could give us," Kitty insisted. "How are we suppose to trust you now?"

Nightmare looked at her. His voice was full of anger when he spoke. "Did you even trust me when I arrived here? No. You all saw me as the simple madman that I have tried to change."

He began to leave the room saying, "none of you will understand my torment."

Before he could leave Bobby and Ray stood in front of the door. The X-Men wanted answers, and Nightmare was going to give them whether he wanted to, or not.

But Nightmare thought differently.

He pulled his ax out from its holster and held it, ready to use it.

"Move," he said.

Bobby and Ray did as he instructed.

And so Nightmare left the room.

All the X-Men were left in shock. They had let a murderer into their home.

"Can you believe that," Jean said. "He threatened to kill Bobby and Ray, just because they were standing in his path."

The Prof. shook his head. He had tried to probe Nightmare's mind during this meeting, but it was nearly impossible.

Nightmare had a strong mental block guarding his mind.

Xavier was unable to break through, but he did manage to sense one thing.

"He was bluffing."

All the X-Men turned to him.

"What," Jean asked.

"He was bluffing," Charles said again. "I could sense that he did not want to hurt Ray or Bobby. Nor does he wish to harm any of us."

"Well," Scott said, "even if he was bluffing, he still is a murderer."

Xavier said as if correcting Scott, "was a murderer. We don't know if he still is a killer."

They all sat in silence for a few moments. None of them knew what to say. This is the first time they had actually had to deal with a murderer. They were not sure how to act.

Xavier rubbed his forehead.

"We should discuss this matter as calmly as we can," he said. "We need to be clear minded about the situation at hand. Lets just try our best to come up with a solution."

Scott spoke up again.

"I don't think we should let Nightmare wander around on his own. At least not until we know the whole story."

"Very well," Xavier agreed. "If it will put all your minds at ease, I will send someone to keep watch over Nightmare for now."

Before he could choose anyone to watch over the young madman, Rogue stood to her feet.

"Ah'll watch him," she said.

Charles was about to object. He would have preferred an instructor to look after the boy. However he did not have time to do so. Rogue left the room immediately after she volunteered.

Once she was outside the door she went looking for Nightmare.

The Institute was very quiet that night. If the X-Men weren't all in the meeting room, Rogue would have thought it was abandoned.

She moved her way through the Institute, looking for any sign of Nightmare.

The Goth managed to find him, much easier than she thought.

The young madman was in the den. He was facing the fireplace where a fire had been lit earlier that evening.

His ax was in his hands and he was stroking it with two fingers.

Rogue walked into the room slowly.

"Ivan," she said gently.

Nightmare cocked his head upward.

"What are you doing here," he asked.

"The Professor wanted someone to keep an eye on you," Rogue answered.

Nightmare turned to her. "So you came because the Professor want to make sure I wouldn't hurt anyone."

"No," Rogue said. "Ah came because I wanted to."

Nightmare nodded and turned back to the fireplace.

Rogue walked over to him and stood by his side.

"Nightmare, why didn't you tell us that you were a part of that gang of killers," Rogue asked.

Nightmare's head sank.

"I was hoping it would all go away," he said. "I left The Crimson Hands a short time ago. I thought I could just escape, but I guess I was wrong."

There was so much pain and sorrow in his voice.

Rogue could tell that it was not a killer she was talking to, but a person who had suffered much.

Still she had to know one more thing.

"Why did you join them anyway," Rogue asked. "There had to have been something. No one just joins up with a killing club."

Nightmare put his axe back in the holster.

"Suffering," he said. "A long trial of suffering. That is why I joined them."

Rogue could tell he wasn't telling her the whole truth.

"What kind of suffering," Rogue asked.

Nightmare walked away from Rogue and over to a window. He looked out into the darkness.

"It's a long story," he said. "And you are not the only person who needs to hear it. All of your friends need to hear this as well if they are to truly understand me."

Rogue moved over to Nightmare and placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Then lets go back to the meeting room, and you can tell them everything," she said.

Nightmare shook his head.

"I don't think they will believe me now," he said. "Not after they found out what I really am. If they had learned about my suffering before they knew I was a killer, then maybe they would. But now I don't think they will believe me. Not with the truth passing through my own lips."

Rogue paused and thought. A solution popped into her head, one that she did not want to do. But it was the only option.

"Ivan," she said, "what if the truth passed through mah lips?"

Nightmare looked at her curiously.

Rogue slipped off one of her gloves and said, "you know mah powers absorb memories as well as life force, and mutant abilities."

"Let me absorb your memories. That way Ah can tell the X-Men everything, and they'll have to believe me."

Nightmare took in all this information. And he did not like it.

"No," he said. "I can't let you do that."

"Why not," Rogue asked, somewhat surprised that he declined the idea.

"Because you won't like what you see," Nightmare said.

Rogue crossed her arms over her chest. "We don't have to many options, now do we?"

It took a while. But Nightmare finally sighed in defeat.

"Alright," he said.

He slipped off his own glove and held out his wrist.

"But," he said, "I will only allow you a ten second hold. I want to be conscious when you tell the X-Men."

Rogue nodded in agreement.

She held her bare hand over Nightmare's wrist.

She did not make contact at first.

She took a few deep breaths and then grabbed onto Nightmare's wrist.

Her mind was hit instantly. She saw so much. Perhaps too much.

There were so many terrifying images in the young madman's mind.

Many of them were the murders that he had committed with The Crimson Hands.

There was so much blood. People screaming. Blades, knives, and weapons throughout the images.

Each vision was as horrible as the first.

Rogue began to scream in terror as the images came into her full force.

And because of her fear she could not let go.

She held on for much longer then ten seconds.

Nightmare began to yell, "let go! RELEASE YOUR GRIP BEFORE YOU ABSORB TOO MUCH!"

So much horror. So much pain was absorbed into Rogue's mind.

At last she released her grip.

Nightmare fell to the ground unconscious.

Rogue merely knelt to the ground. Fear sprawled all over her face.

She breathed in long shaky gasps. Her body was frozen with terror.

She began to shiver from what she had seen.

And then came the pain. A sharp stabbing pain in her eyes.

She had absorbed it from Nightmare. A pain that he had felt ever since that fateful day he had begun his journey of change from the innocent boy that was Ivan, into Nightmare.

Just then Logan and Scott entered the room.

They saw Nightmare on the floor and Rogue kneeled next to him.

Rogue began to rub her eyes as a reaction from the agony in her eyes. But the pain only grew worse. The more she rubbed the more the pain grew.

"Ow," she said in a timid voice. Something very unlike her. "Arrgh ow."

She continued her timid noise as she rubbed her eyes.

Scott walked over to her.

"Rogue, what's wrong," he asked. "What did he do to you?"

Rogue took her hands away from her eyes and looked to Scott.

"He showed me his suffering."

Rogue sat in the meeting room and continued to rub her eyes. The pain had stopped increasing, but it was not getting better.

Her eyes were starting to turn red from all the rubbing.

Nightmare was put into the infirmary where Hank was now watching over him.

Rogue had told the X-Men that Nightmare did not attack her. That they had arranged for her to touch him so she could tell them all what she had seen. And she saw everything.

The Professor had given her a quick lecture about what she had done. But he still showed her sympathy.

"Now Rogue," he said. "I know you want to tell us what you saw in Nightmare's mind. But may be you would prefer doing this somewhere more private."

"No," Rogue said. "Every one should hear this. It explains everything we want to know about Nightmare."

The X-Men all became quiet as they listened.

Rogue stopped rubbing her eyes and tried to ignore the pain as she told Nightmare's life story.

"Nightmare wasn't his original name," she began. "He used to be called Ivan."

"He used to live in a quiet and beautiful town in Vermont. It was a lot like those town you see in the movies where every one knows every one. You couldn't even walk down to the local store without seeing at least ten familiar faces, and getting into conversations with friends."

"Ivan lived with his father and mother. He was an only child, but he was not spoiled. From what Ah saw in his mind he was actually a very sweet boy. He was always polite, got along with every one. He wouldn't even hurt a fly."

"His parents were good people. His mom worked at the local schools as a first grade teacher. He even had her for his teacher. And his dad was a member of the local police force."

"They were a wonderful family. As perfect as a family could be."

Jean interrupted Rogue. "Then why did he become a killer? From what you're telling us he had no reason to turn into a murderer."

"Ah'm trying to explain that Jean," Rogue said angrily. "So just sit down and shut your God Damn mouth!"

Jean sat down, but not before shooting daggers at Rogue.

"Anyway," Rogue continued. "Nightmare's sanity began to slip away when he was only eight years old."

Rogue's voice began saddened and she looked like she was trying to hold back tears.

"One night, two men broke into Nightmare's house. One had a shotgun, the other had a butterfly knife. The man with the shot gun kept Nightmare and his mother at gun point, while the other began to take their valuables."

"Nightmare was traumatized. He had never seen acts of cruelty before, and this was a heavy one to bare. But the robbers didn't stop there."

"Nightmare's father had entered the house. He had been at work while all this was happening. When he entered the house the man with the shotgun did even hesitate."

"He shot Nightmare's father in the stomach."

"It took the poor man twenty minutes to finally die."

"Nightmare's mother was devastated. She laid herself on her husband. Tears were running down her cheeks and she screamed in despair."

The X-Men listened to Rogue's words. Some of them were in total shock.

Rogue continued.

"The two men didn't show any merci. The only thing Nightmare's mother wanted was for her son not to see her death."

"But the men didn't allow it. They blew her brains out right in front of him."

Rogue could not hold back her tears any more. She let them fall.

The Goth stood to her feet and turned away from the X-Men. She did not want them to see her cry.

In a few seconds she felt a pair of hands rest on her shoulders. She knew they were Ororo's.

The Weather Witch tried to calm Rogue down.

The Goth turned back to the X-Men, but Ororo did not sit down.

She stayed with Rogue, and kept rubbing the girl's shoulders in a consoling way.

"That is something no child should see," Rogue said. "Nightmare blames himself for his parents' death. He felt that he should have done something. But there was nothing he could have done. He was only eight years old at the time."

Kurt then spoke up.

"So he became a murderer because his parents were killed?"

"No," Rogue said. "It didn't end there."

"What those to men did to Nightmare next was far worse than just murdering his family."

"They cut out his eyes. They figured since he saw such a terrible thing they should make it so he never had to see again."

"They cut out his eyes and left him in the middle of the woods to die."

"I don't even want to think about the pain he went through."

"But that doesn't make any sense," Kitty interjected. "How can he still see without his eyes."

"Because that's his power," Rogue said. "he learned about it that night in the woods. He could see without his eyes."

"After that day he fell into despair. He began looking for someone to take him in. But no one would. They all ran away at the sight of him."

"The only person who would take him in was Shamen."

"The leader of those killers," Scott said.

"Yeah," Rogue answered. "Once he took Nightmare in he began to manipulate his mind. That was what he did with every member of The Crimson Hands. He twisted their mind, making them believe that human kind was a cruel species that had to be extinguished."

"He trained them to be perfect killers, just to satisfy his own sick pleasures."

"They killed many people, moving from town to town, city to city, killing people left and right. They called it the Hunt whenever they went out to kill."

Once again Jean interrupted.

"But that doesn't explain if Nightmare is still a killer or not."

"Ah'm getting to that," Rogue said angrily.

She continued.

"It wasn't until he was eighteen that Nightmare began to see the error of his ways."

"During a night of killing the Police caught up with The Crimson Hands. They had to split up to avoid the cops."

"During this time Nightmare was injured. He got hit by a car that was owned by a girl named Kristen. She and her friends were afraid to take him to the hospital because of criminal charges that would be placed on them. So they took him to Kristen's house."

"There she showed him the kindness that he had never been shown after his parents were killed. That is what made him see that what he was doing was wrong, and that not all human's were heartless."

"He wanted to give up his ways and try to be a normal person again. But as you can guess The Crimson Hands weren't gonna let him go so easily."

"They tried to kill Kristen and her friends."

"Nightmare tried to protect them as best he could. Many of them were killed. However Nightmare did manage to protect Kristen. And after he was sure she was safe he escaped the city where they had been hunting for that time."

"How did he escape," Kurt asked.

Rogue sighed and said, "Ah don't know. Ah didn't see that. But all of this should explain why he was a killer."

All the X-Men tried to absorb this information. This was a terrible story. Nightmare had lost so much when he was just a boy.

"Poor Nightmare," Kitty said.

However Jean was still not convinced.

"So how do we know he still isn't a killer," she asked. "Rogue, you said that he wanted to live his life as a normal person. Well he sure doesn't seem normal to me."

Rogue said very angrily, "because he knows that he can never be normal again. He knows that he has been changed far too much to ever be the same person he was as a child. That's why he still is a killer.

"Ah-Ha," Jean said, "so he still is a killer. We still can't trust him."

"But he doesn't kill innocent people," Rogue said. "He became a vigilante. He kills murderers and rapists, and he punishes thieves and people who commit crimes that are not as extreme."

Still Jean did not want to believe they could trust Nightmare.

"Then how do you explain what happened back in that ally," Jean said. "He could have killed that guy with the skull mask. Why didn't he?"

Rogue was becoming full of fury.

Ororo tried to keep her calm.

The Goth pulled herself away from the Weather Witch and walked over until she was right in Jean's face.

Then Rogue spoke as calmly as she could. "Think about it Jean. After Nightmare's parents were killed he had nothing. He lost his home, his eyes, and most importantly his family. When Shamen took him in, those killers were the only family he had left. It was even difficult for him to fight them when he was protecting Kristen. They were like brothers to him, and Shamen was like a father. That's something he can't easily forget."

Rogue then walked away from Jean and sat in a chair. There was nothing more that she had to explain.

Jean began again. "But what about"

As a shock to everyone she was stopped by the Professor.

"Alright Jean that's enough," he said. "It is obvious that Nightmare is an individual that has suffered a lot in his life. I think we should take that into consideration. What Rogue has told us is very vital information. And I am glad that she was able to clear all of this up."

Jean was silent. Normally the Professor would side with her, but this was the first time that he did not.

The red head sat down with anger in her eyes.

Rogue stood back up and said to the Professor, "if you don't mind Ah want to check on Nightmare now."

The Professor nodded and looked around the room at the other students. All of them seemed to have a look of concern as well.

"I'm sure we would all like to see his status."


	9. Chapter 9

Author's Notes: Hey I'm back.

Notes to Cat2fat900: I'm glad your back, I was wondering where you went.

Sheisbeautiful-sheisnotme: I did not think about DareDevil when I created Nightmare. I thought DareDevil was blind and has really good smell and hearing. Nightmare can litarely see without his eyes.

Enjoy this chapter.

Nightmare lied motionless on the hospital bed as his mind wondered into another dream.

He found himself in his old home. The house was just as it was when he lived there.

The furniture was handmade, most of it by his own father. His dad took his hand in carpentry when he had time off from the police force.

The moon light shined through the window revealing everything in a beautiful white light.

Nightmare looked around himself. There were pictures of him as a child and his family all around him.

"I'm home," he said to himself.

A sense of joy seemed to boil in his heart. Sadly that feeling vanished when he looked down on the floor.

There in front of him lied the dead bodies of his parents; exactly as they were the day they were murdered.

Standing over them were the two thieves that had done the horrible deed. They stood looking at a young boy sitting in the corner. Fear in every aspect of his body.

They approached the boy, one holding a butterfly knife in his hand.

The boy just sat in his place, too petrified to even move.

Nightmare knew they boy instantly as himself as a child.

"No," he said, pulling his axe out from its holster. "Not again. I won't let you."

He ran forward, hitting one of the thieves with his ax, in the face. He turned to the second one and finished him off swiftly. The two men were killed in less then thirty seconds.

Nightmare held his ax tightly. He ignored the red liquid as he turned back to the boy that used to be him.

However there was no boy. It was himself as Nightmare. A perfect copy of him.

"Look at you," it said. "You just butchered two men with your ax. And you think you have over come your killing instincts."

Nightmare looked at the apparition of himself and said, "I never thought I could over come my killing ways. But that doesn't stop me from trying."

"That is true," the apparition said. "But you are well aware that you can't overcome it, and you will never overcome me."

With that the spectral Nightmare swung its ax at the real Nightmare.

Just when it was about to hit, Nightmare woke up in the infirmary.

It was late. The night had been taking its coarse across the world for quite some time. However this did not matter to Nightmare. Not now.

The young madman was relieved that the X-Men had not removed his costume as he had wished.

He stood to his feet and saw that his weapons were laid next to the bed. He wondered why the X-Men did not try to hide them again while he was unconscious.

As he placed his weapons back in their holsters he heard an accented voice from the doorway.

"Well you recovered quicker than Ah expected."

Nightmare turned around and saw Rogue in the doorway.

"I'm as shocked as you are," he said. "You powers hit me pretty hard."

"Yeah," Rogue said as she entered the room, "Ah'm sorry about that. Ah just got a big piece of your mind, and there was a lot of stuff Ah couldn't handle."

Nightmare nodded as he placed his ax back in its holster. "That's what I was worried about."

He then remembered that Rogue had planned to tell the X-Men what she had seen in his mind.

"How did your friends react to what you told them," he asked.

It came as a shock to Nightmare when he saw the smile form on Rogue's face.

"Why don't you asked them yourself," she said.

At that point all the X-Men entered the room.

They had all piled in too the infirmary. None of them seemed nervous now. None of them seemed afraid. There was a sudden change in their attitude.

"What's going on here," Nightmare asked.

Scott stepped forward. Now he didn't seem to be so afraid of Nightmare either.

"Nightmare," he said, "Rogue had told us everything that she saw in your mind. We know everything now. And I just want to say that if we had know what we know now we wouldn't have treated you the way that we did."

"Is that so," Nightmare asked.

"So what I'm trying to say," Scott stated, "is, on behalf of all the X-Men, we apologies. It may take some getting used to, but we will try to be more understanding of your ways."

Nightmare listened to this. It sounded truthful, and not with a bit of force. It seemed as if Scott had meant what he said.

"I accept your apology," Nightmare said. "But I beg you to not expect me to change my ways. I am a killer at heart, and mind. And now that The Crimson Hands are in this town I will have to use my murdering instincts to their full potential."

And with that he left the room.

None of the X-Men were offended by his leave. They now understood that those were his ways. They felt they could trust him now that they knew all about him.

The Professor interrupted the silence that filled the room.

"Well students, it's late. I believe we've all had enough excitement for one evening. Go one up to bed, you still have school tomorrow."

And so the students all went to bed. They needed their rest for tomorrow. The dance was tomorrow night, and they needed a little fun after what had happened.

The next morning was unusually quiet at the institute. All the students were at school and that left the instructors to enjoy a peaceful morning for once.

Jean walked into the kitchen that morning, still somewhat angry about last night. Ororo, Logan and Xavier were already there.

Ororo and Charles were discussing expanding the institute to a greater size, allowing more room of new mutants that wished to join. Logan ignored the conversation and kept his face in the morning paper.

Jean was prepared to sit with them when she heard the phone ring.

She moved over to it and picked up off the hook.

"Hello," she said into the receiving end.

"Put Nightmare on the phone," came a strange voice on the other end.

"Who's this," she asked.

The voice did not answer.

"Put Nightmare on the phone now," it demanded, "or I will hunt down your friends and gut them one by one."

"Who is it," Ororo asked from the table.

Jean's eyes were wide with fear.

"It sounds like one of those Crimson Hand guys."

"Very good," the voice stated. "You are perceptive. Let me guess, I'm speaking to the bitch with the red hair am I correct."

Jean became angry, but she tried not to show it.

"He wants to talk to Nightmare," she said to the Prof.

Xavier turned to Ororo.

"Storm, go find Nightmare. Get him in here immediately"

Ororo nodded and left the room without further hesitation.

Jean continued speaking on the phone.

"How did you get this number," she asked.

The killer spoke; his voice was very unnerving.

"Let's just say I had to borrow a phone and a phone book from a sweet little old lady. But of course she was not to pleased when she found me in her house. So I had to negotiate rather intensely, with my pitchfork in her neck."

Pitchfork. This clarified that it was Stalker Jean was talking to.

After a few minutes Ororo came back into the room with Nightmare behind her.

He did not ask for the phone, he simply snatched it from jean and began to speak.

"Why are you calling here," he asked rather harshly.

There was a sudden raise in Stalker's voice, as if her were pleased.

"Ah Nightmare," he said, "how delightful to hear your voice again."

"Stalker," Nightmare said. Fury oozing in his voice.

"Oh come now," Stalker said, "is that any way to talk to an old friend?"

"What do you want," Nightmare demanded.

"Calm down," Stalker said. "This is just a harmless conversation."

Nightmare calmed himself down. He knew that the more anger he showed the more Stalker would mess with him. He wanted to know what his old comrade wanted quickly.

"How are those people treating you," Stalker asked. "They do seem like a nice bunch. Be a real shame if they were to be found hanging from a meat hook with their guts spilled onto the floor."

"Leave them out of his," Nightmare asked calmly, but it was still obvious that he was angry.

"Why," Stalker asked. "Shouldn't I get to know these people that have taken you in. After all they do seem rather interesting. Especially that girl with the pale skin. I wouldn't mind getting to know her from the inside out."

"ENOUGH," Nightmare yelled. "Tell me what the hell you want."

Stalker paused before answering.

"Very well," he said. "I have had a vision. A vision that concerns you, and you newfound friends as well. If you wish to know this information you will meet me at the construction sight of the new bank at 8 o'clock sharp."

Nightmare hesitated. How did he know this was not a trick to get him out in the open? Still for reasons only known to him, he wanted to trust Stalker.

"How do I know the others won't be waiting to tare me to pieces," he asked.

"You don't have to worry," Stalker answered. "I will come alone. And I want you to do the same. Otherwise I will leave you and your friends to fend for yourselves in the chaos to come."

And without another word he hung up the phone.

Nightmare wanted to release all his rage right now, but he managed to suppress it.

He hung the phone back up. His hand reached for his ax and he pulled it out.

"What did he say," Charles asked. He did not enter Nightmare's mind to hear the conversation.

"I have to meet him at the new bank construction sight," Nightmare said. "He has information. Some that we may need."

"What kind of information," Ororo questioned.

Nightmare began to leave the kitchen. "He didn't say. All he said was that it concerns me and all of you."

Before he could exit the kitchen, Logan stood in his path.

"Hold it bub," he stated, "we can't let you go there. After we saw how hostile you guys react to each other, it wouldn't be a good idea."

"He's right," Xavier said from the table. "We can't allow you to take this risk. You know these killers better than we do. If we have to fight them again, we will need you. I can have Logan and Hank go in your place."

Nightmare strongly objected to this. "He won't talk to any of you. None of them will. They have been raised to see all people as cruel hearted bastards. They live life believing they must kill as much of mankind as they can. It doesn't matter if you are mutants, they will see you the exact same way as everyone else."

Xavier closed his eyes. He understood what Nightmare was saying.

"I understand," he said, "but still I cannot have you go alone."

"I must," Nightmare said, "that's what he instructed me to do."

"That doesn't matter," Xavier stated. "In a situation like this, you shouldn't go alone. Just let a few of the X-Men accompany you. They will remain hidden unless things get hostile. Please Nightmare."

The young madman tried to think of a way to convince Xavier that he should go alone. But he could not.

"Very well," he said, "but they have to stay perfectly hidden, or Stalker will tell us nothing."

Trask kept his focus on the Sentinel. Construction was almost complete. In only a matter of days he could set forth on his knew mission.

The large robot stood in the silo. Its eyes seeming to survey all that it stood over.

The men worked very nonstop to make it perfect. Better than it was before. For the battle it would soon be placed in, Trask would not allow any mistakes.

Nothing would stop him. Not until the X-Men were destroyed.

The sun had gone down a long time ago. It was almost 8 o'clock and there was still no sign of Stalker.

Nightmare kept his ax in his hand. He wanted to be ready for anything.

Not to far away from where he stood, Logan was hidden with Ororo, Hank, Scott, and Jean.

They had been waiting very long, and a few of them were getting impatient.

Nightmare had wanted to get to the construction sight a good deal of time before 8 o'clock. That way he would be ready and Stalker would be unprepared.

"This is so stupid," Jean said. "Why do we have to stay hidden just so Stalker can chew the fat with his older killing buddy?"

"We don't know what kind of information this Stalker guy has," Logan stated. "Plus if we're seen then we won't learn anything."

Back out in the open Nightmare pulled out his machete. He began to use it to sharpen his ax. He found the noise calming.

"I didn't think you would get here before me," came Stalker's voice from behind.

Nightmare turned around quickly to see his old comrade.

Stalker had his weapons in their holsters and his hands behind his back, showing that he did not want to fight.

Nightmare slowly put his weapons in their holsters, but he was ready to take them out again if he had to.

Stalker began to move closer to Nightmare.

"You haven't changed much," he said. "You still sharpen your ax as a way to relieve stress as you did when you were still with us."

"I guess old habits die hard," Nightmare said.

Stalker laughed a little to himself.

"I guess not hard enough," he said. "Why do you still ware the outfit you wore when you were a member of The Crimson Hands? I would figure that you'd want to get rid of anything that reminded you of us."

Nightmare clenched his fists. "This is my identity now."

Stalker began to speak. The hostility was raising in his voice.

"I wouldn't think as much. You have become a disgrace to your hunting name. You have disgraced your weapons, and you have disgraced our father!"

Nightmare raised his voice to a level of violence.

"Shamen is not my father," he said, "not any more. And he never was my rightful father. You know that as well as I do."

"I don't believe that," Stalker claimed. "He took us in when we were alone. All of us had nothing. You know that Nightmare. If it wasn't for him we would have all died on the streets when we were little."

"And if he hadn't taken us in he wouldn't have blinded you from the truth," Nightmare stated.

"What truth," Stalker began to let all his rage fly out. "He showed us the truth. That mankind was nothing more then a mass of hatred. Made only to make those less fortunate suffer. Shamen saved us from becoming one of them. He showed us the true meaning of the existence of humanity."

Nightmare's heart was beginning to feel as if it were sinking. Stalker truly believed what Shamen had taught him.

It was true that Nightmare felt that way once. And that hurt him every day.

"That isn't true Stalker," Nightmare said. "No all humans are cruel at heart. Not all humans care only about hurting others. The reason you believe that is because Shamen has shown you only the bad. None of the good."

"There is no good," Stalker claimed.

"Yes there is," Nightmare clarified. "I was shown kindness by those people the day I was injured during a hunt. I have seen love and care every day since that. Shamen just wouldn't allow me to see it when I was with him."

"No," Stalker said. "That not the truth. Shamen is our father.'

Nightmare immediately disagreed. "My father was Mathew Hoffstra."

"Shamen protected us," Stalker said back.

"Shamen lied to us," Nightmare retorted.

"HE DID NOT," Stalker yelled out.

"What has changed you so much Nightmare," Stalker asked a little softer, but still upset. "You have grown different. You used to be an excellent killer. Now you'd rather save mankind, like those bastard mutants that have taken you in."

Nightmare shook his head trying to keep calm.

"They are good people," Nightmare claimed.

Stalker then exploded with rage.

"GOOD PEOPLE! YOU SPEAK OF THEM AS IF THEY ARE YOUR NEW FAMILY. SHAMEN IS YOUR FAMILY! THE CRIMSON HANDS ARE YOUR FAMILY! I'M YOUR FAIMLY! WE'RE THE ONLY FAMILY YOU'VE HAD SINCE YOURS WAS TAKEN FROM YOU!"

There was a long silence.

The X-Men kept watch from where they hid. This was so astounding. It was like there was sadness in Stalker's voice. As if it hurt him to be fighting against Nightmare.

Nightmare was struck with silence for a very brief moment.

"I know you are my family," Nightmare said. Sadness swelled up in his voice as well.

"You have been like a brother to me Stalker. And I still feel that way now. That is why it is so difficult for me to fight you. It is hard for me to fight you, Butcher, Clowny, every one of you. Even Shamen. But I will keep fighting you, because it is the right thing to do. And if I have to kill you, I will."

Stalker could not hold back his anger anymore.

He pulled out his butcher's knife and lunged at Nightmare, pinning him against a bulldozer.

Stalker raised his knife up, ready to stab his old friend.

He was shocked when a thin beam of red light shot from out of nowhere and knocked his knife out of his hand.

Stalker looked around him, and saw the few X-Men that had accompanied Nightmare all around him.

Logan stood with his claws ready.

"Put him down," he said in his gruff voice.

Stalker looked at Nightmare.

"I told you to come alone," he said.

"I couldn't stop them," Nightmare stated. "They wouldn't allow me to face you alone."

Stalker became very angry. He reached down to his hammer and pulled it out of his holster, ready to bash Nightmare's face in.

"I don't care if they kill me," he said, "just as long as I put an end to you."

The X-Men readied themselves, to attack.

But Stalker did not strike Nightmare. He just stood with his hammer raised.

"You can't do it," Nightmare said, "can you Stalker?"

Stalker slowly lowered his hammer.

"I can't," he said. "I want to. Believe me I want to. But I can't."

He took his hand off of Nightmare.

"Damn you," Stalker stated. "Damn you for reminding me how close we were. A traitor you maybe. But you are still my brother in my eyes."

"Very good," Nightmare said.

Stalker looked to the ground and saw his butcher knife. He walked over to it and picked it up.

"Don't get me wrong," Stalker said. "The next time we meet, I will kill you."

And he began to leave.

None of the X-Men tried to stop him. Something made them not do so.

Before Stalker left he turned back to Nightmare.

"I said I had information for you," he said.

Nightmare nodded. "I remember that."

Stalker nodded as well.

"I have come here to warn you," he said.

Nightmare paused, waiting for what was to be said.

The X-Men stood and listened as well.

"I had a vision," Stalker said, "of a red giant made of metal."

"Red giant," Logan asked himself quietly, only to answer himself with, "the Sentinel."

"I saw your friends," Stalker continued, "being crushed below his feet. All of them were in pain."

Nightmare did not know what this meant, and he was unaware that the X-Men knew.

"A red giant," he asked.

"There's more," Stalker claimed. "Because I have revealed this information to you, one of the X-Men is going to join our side. That is why I was debating telling you this. But it would be good to have another member in The Crimson hands."

Then Stalker left. The only words that passed by his lips as he walked out of the construction yard were, "watch your back."

The X-Men were left in shock. Not only was the Sentinel going to return, but also one of their own was going to betray them.

"This is unbelievable," Ororo said. "How can we reveal this information to the others if it means one of them will join those killers."

"Well we can't keep it from them," Hank stated. "We have to let them now that Trask is rebuilding the Sentinel."

The mutants began to discuss what they were to do.

Nightmare could only watch as they discussed. He did not know what this Sentinel they were referring to was.

"Well one thing is for sure," Scott stated. "We have to go back to the institute and let the professor know what we found out."

They were all in agreement on that and with no time to spare they began to head back to the institute.

However Nightmare did not move.

As they walked Logan noticed that the cloaked madman was not moving. He walked over to the boy.

"Come on Nightmare," he said, "we gotta move."

Nightmare looked at Logan as if he just saw that he was there.

"You go back to the institute," he said. "I just need a little time alone. I just need to think for a while."

Nightmare was ready for Logan to disagree. But instead he heard the man say, "just don't let anyone see you. If you're spotted outside the institute the Prof. will have Hell to pay."

The music filled the air at the dance that night. All the High School students danced happily together as all worries fell from their bones.

It was a perfect night. No one was staring hatefully at the X-kids as they enjoyed a wonderful evening. It was as if no one remembered that they were mutants.

Rogue just stood against the wall as every one had a good time. She did not want to go to the dance tonight, after all she was the only person without a date.

Still all the students encouraged her to go, and they would not except ",no" for an answer.

Rogue even wore the black dress Kitty encouraged her to ware.

It was a very beautiful dress, made of black silk, with long sleeves. The only thing that threw Rogue off was that it had a short skirt. Luckily she found some stalking to ware along with it.

The other thing that through her off was that it had glitter on it. But sill she wore it to get Kitty off her back. Sadly it seemed that she had worn it for nothing.

As she stood against the wall she watched as Tabitha danced with Remy.

They looked so happy together, and that only made Rogue more depressed.

As she stood Kitty walked over to her. Lance needed a break from dancing, so he stood by the snack table. The poor boy was being run ragged by Kitty.

"Hey Rogue," she said, "like how'd it been going?"

"Ah don't have a date, and Ah'm stuck standing against the wall," Rogue said somewhat annoyed, "how do you think Ah'm doing?"

Kitty's eyes turned to sorrow as she saw her friend miserable. It seemed like every one was having a good time except the Goth.

"If you want I can let you dance with Lance for a while," Kitty said, trying to make Rogue happy.

"Ah don't need a handout," Rogue said rather rudely.

Kitty looked sadly to the ground.

This only made the Goth feel worse. She did not mean to be hurtful to Kitty, she was just having a very bad night.

"Look Kitty, Ah'm sorry," Rogue said. "Things just haven't really been going good for me these past few days you know."

Kitty looked up at her gothic friend, and saw the depression in her eyes

Finally Rogue said, "it was a mistake for me to come here, Ah should probably just go home."

"No Rogue," Kitty disagreed, "just stay and try to have a good time."

"Ah won't be able to," Rogue said. "And Ah don't want to make the dance less fun for you, because you have to worry about me. Ah'm just gonna go."

She didn't even let Kitty say another word. She just left the gymnasium.

Outside Rogue once again leaned against the wall.

She had remembered that she had gone to the dance with Kurt and Amanda, so she did not have a ride home. And she was not in the mood to walk home with the dress she had on.

So she just sat on a nearby bench and rested her head on her hands.

Her depression was growing worse. She could still her the music from outside, and she could only picture all those couples in the gym having a good time.

"This is so unfair," Rogue said to herself.

It had just occurred in her mind that she was the only one of the group that was not hooked up with anyone. And it only made her heart hurt more.

She raised her head up and looked to her said. It was then that she noticed a dark figure leaning up against the building by the door of the gym.

It was Nightmare. He was standing near the door and watching the students dance the night away.

Rogue stood to her feet and walked over to him.

"What are you doing here," she asked him.

Nightmare jumped suddenly and turned to Rogue.

Rogue could only laugh at this. Nightmare did not seem like the kind of person who would jump like that.

"Marie," he said, "never sneak up on a man with an ax. You're going to get yourself killed if you keep it up."

"Sorry," Rogue said. "But that doesn't answer mah question."

Nightmare relaxed himself. "There were things that happened tonight that have made me very nervous. I just came here to try and unwind."

Rogue crossed her arms and asked, "by spying on the kids at the dance?"

Nightmare looked at Rogue and could tell she was teasing him. He laughed slightly to himself and moved away from the door so no one would see him.

Rogue followed him out of view.

"You must forgive me Marie," he said. "I was just curious."

"About what," Rogue asked.

Nightmare paused and looked at the building where the kids were dancing inside.

"I never got to experience things like a dance," he said, "because of what I had become. I have kept myself away from people for so long, I just wanted to see what it was like."

Rogue leaned against the wall and looked at Nightmare.

She could not have imagined how difficult it was for him those many years with The Crimson Hands, and the short time he has been free of them.

He did not know what it was like to have fun with other teenagers, or the simple joys they held.

And at the same time Rogue admired him.

Nightmare was not in denial about what he was, yet he placed all that, and his difficult life aside, to try and do good in the world.

"Ivan," Rogue stated.

The young killer turned to her.

Rogue continued. "Ah don't have a date tonight. And I was wondering, since you are here, if you wanted to dance?"

"I cannot allow any one to see me," Nightmare said.

"We don't have to go into the gym," Rogue clarified. "We can stay right out here. After all we can still here the music, can't we?"

Nightmare did not answer at first.

Rogue smiled and said, "come on Ivan, dance with me."

Nightmare smiled under his black mask and said, "only if it's a slow song."

And then, as if fate had just intervened, a slow song began.

Rogue smiled at Nightmare, and gently pulled Nightmare closer to her.

The young madman was hesitant at first. He had never danced before in his life.

But soon her took Rogue's hand, and put his left hand around the Goth's waist.

And so the two danced.

It was as strange feeling for Nightmare, but in a way, he liked it.

Rogue began to feel joy in her heart. For the first time n a long time, she felt happy.

Soon she leaned her head on Nightmare's shoulder.

The two continued to dance in the night air. All there worries seemed to vanish.


	10. Chapter 10

Authoer's Notes: Thanks to those who reveiewed.

Notes to Cat2fat900: I know that it's Stockings and not stalking. It's just that I had been writing Salker so much in that chapter I just got the two confused. Anyway thanks for reviewing and enjoy this chapter.

Notes to sheisbeautiful-sheisnotme: Let me try to answer your question to the best of my abilities. You see Nightmare and The Crimson Hand members aren't really mutants persay. They are very similar, and their gene is much like the X-gene, but there is just one thing that makes them different. You see what makes Nightmare and The Crimson Hands different from mutants is that their powers can only affect them. For example Cyclops can shoot that read beam from his eyes, and Avalanche can create Earth quakes. People that are like The Crimson Hands cannot do anything like that. Nor can they do stuff like run really fast like quicksilver, fly, read minds, heal instantly, teleport, phoase through walls, or things of that nature. Their abilities are a little more confined than mutants. No in Nightmares case he was born with his abilities, like all people of his nature are, he just didn't know about them until his eyes were cut out. Had his eyes not been cut out he would have never known about his powers and he never would have joined The Crimson Hands. I don't know if you wanted to know all that, but I just figured I should tell you. Well, please enjoy this chapter.

Stalker entered the old warehouse where The Crimson Hands were hiding. He hoped that none of them would know where he was, and hoped that no one noticed he was gone.

Luckily for him they were all asleep. They lay on the dusty floor with their weapons held tightly in their grasps; so they could be in use if needed.

Stalker stepped quietly into the room, trying not to wake anyone.

As he moved Wardog came out from behind a nearby corner.

"Where the Hell have you been," he asked his comrade.

Stalker felt like an idiot now. It seemed that he had forgotten that Wardog was immune to fatigue.

His abilities made it so he never had to sleep. He never got tired and he never had to worry about loosing energy. If only Stalker had kept that in mind.

The skull masked killer thought of a lie quickly.

"I just had to satisfy my blood lust," he said holding up his butcher knife, covered with blood.

Actually this was the truth. After talking with Nightmare he spied some up tight jackass on his way back to the hideout.

He spotted the man leaving the dry cleaners late that night. And he could remember his name very well.

As the man exited the store Stalker heard the woman inside say; "I'll see you next time Mr. Kelly."

After spotting him Stalker did what he did best. Stalked.

He followed the man for quite some time, and learned much about him.

Apparently he was the Principle of the Bayeville High School, and was also running for mayor of the city.

Now there is only one candidate for mayor.

Stalker followed him for hours waiting to catch him alone.

When the killer got his wish he had not trouble putting an end to Principle Kelly. It was actually ver simple. Just one thrust to the stomach and the man was doomed.

Stalker then left the man there to bleed to death.

And now he was back at the hideout. It was lucky that he did murder that man. That made it so he technically didn't have to lie to his brothers.

Wardog eyed his friend for a moment, but soon excepted his story.

Stalker breathed a sigh of relief. If his comrades knew that he had gone to warn Nightmare there would have been hell to pay.

Wardog began to head back to his duties. Since he never had to sleep he was normally put on watch as the other Crimson Hands members rested.

As he went back to his post he said, "get some rest. Father plans to begin tonight's hunt within an hour."

Stalker nodded to his friend and sat down with his back leaning on the dusty wall of the warehouse.

The same word kept spinning in his mind. 'Nightmare.'

Stalker's heart always filled with rage every time he thought of that name. But at the same time it caused his heart to sink with sadness.

Nightmare was his friend, his brother. He wished every night that the horrible incident that caused Nightmare to leave had never happened.

At times he had wished that he had killed Nightmare on that fateful day when the cloaked madman had fought his former family.

But also at times, Stalker was happy that he let him go. Although he could never reveal that to his brothers, he had let Nightmare go.

He remembered it like it was yesterday. As if it were a dream.

Flashback: Cavich City

Nightmare stood on the dock, exhausted from the battle that had occurred. His weapons hung limp at his side, stained a bright red from.

His body ached from all the wounds he had received from those he once called his family.

The battle had lasted all night. And it would have been quicker if the police didn't get involved. All they did was prolong the night of death.

So many innocent people were killed because they got in the way. Nightmare didn't kill any innocent lives that night, except for a few cops. His only goal was to protect those that had taken him in. Protect them from The Crimson Hands.

As he stood, trying to recuperate from the long fight he heard a very familiar voice.

"Nightmare, you made it out alive."

Nightmare turned to see Kristen running to him.

At last the young killer could not hold his stance any more. He finally collapsed from exhaustion.

Luckily Kristen caught him before he hit the ground. She helped him stand on his feet.

"We saw the fire in the building," she said, "I thought you were dead after the building collapsed."

Nightmare breathed in long heavy gasps as he spoke. "I barely made it out alive. The fires separated Shamen and me from the others. We both would have died if I wasn't able to pull myself away from him."

"So they were killed," Kristen asked.

Nightmare shook his head in despair. "I'm afraid not. They encountered me again outside. Shamen was with them. I don't know how the hell he got out of there. He should have perished in the flames. There had to have been another way out."

A look of worry spread across Kristen's face. This was very bad. With The Crimson Hands still alive, Nightmare was still in mortal danger as well as her brother and herself.

But that didn't matter right now. What mattered was tending to Nightmare.

"Come on," Kristen said. "Lets get you someplace safe where you can recover."

The two turned away from the dock. It wasn't until they had turned that they saw Stalker standing behind them.

Kristen froze in her tracks.

"Nightmare," Stalker said in anger.

His pitchfork was in his hands and he was prepared to use it in the most violent way possible.

"On your feet," Stalker demanded. "This isn't over yet. I have enough strength for one more battle, and I plan to use the last of it one you."

Nightmare took his hands away from Kristen.

"Get away from here," he instructed.

"No way," Kristen disagreed, "I'm not leaving Nightmare you again."

Nightmare pulled his axe out of its holster.

"Run now," he said more sternly. "If Stalker is here that means the others aren't far away."

Kristen paused for a moment. "But what about you?"

The young Psychopath kept his gaze on Stalker.

"I'll be fine," he said. "Just get yourself to safety now."

Kristen could tell that Nightmare was unsure about his statement. He believed that he might not make it out of this alive.

Still she did as she was told, and ran away.

Stalker too a few steps closer to the cloak young man.

"Are you ready to finish this once and for all," he asked, pointing his pitchfork towards Nightmare's chest.

Nightmare held his axe tightly. However he knew he was too weak to fight anymore.

Slowly he lowered the head of his axe to the ground.

"No," he said, "no I'm not doing this. This has gone on long enough. How much more blood must we shed before we end this?"

Stalker kept his Pitchfork ready.

"All I know is that I have to end this with you dead," he said.

Nightmare picked up his axe, and slid it back in its holster.

"Why," he asked. "Why do you have to kill me in order to end this battle; just because I want to leave The Crimson Hands. Because I want to try and live a new life."

Stalker's hands began to shake.

"Because you betrayed us," he said.

"I did nothing of the kind," Nightmare insisted. "I never told a soul about the things we have done. I never harmed any one of you until you tried to harm the people that cared for me after I was injured. If all human's are cruel as Shamen told us they were, why would they have helped me?"

The skull-masked boy didn't say a word. His hands continued to shake.

Nightmare stood waiting. Nothing was said.

"You can't answer me, can you? After all this time you've hunted me, you can't even think of a reason why."

The pitchfork loosened in Stalker's hands. "You cannot just leave The Crimson Hands. Shamen says no one will except us in the real world."

Nightmare stepped closer to Stalker. He stepped so close that the points on the pitchfork were touching the cloth on his cloak.

"How do you know Shamen hasn't been lying to us," Nightmare asked.

Stalker shook his head. "Shamen wouldn't lye to us."

"How can you be so sure," Nightmare asked again.

The two looked at each other. They did not see each other as enemies now. They saw each other as the brothers they had become for all those years.

This only angered Stalker more. He was torn between the loyalty to The Crimson Hands, and the loyalty to Nightmare.

The pitchfork fell out of the killer's hands. He let out a long groan of rage.

"Why must you make this so hard for me," Stalker asked. "I didn't want to kill you! I thought I had to, but I can't!"

"It is hard for me too," Nightmare said. "But don't make this any worse."

He walked over to Stalker and put his hands on his "Brother's" shoulders.

"Let me go Stalker," Nightmare requested. "Just let me leave. We'll never cross paths again, and we don't have to be enemies any more."

Stalker tried so hard to pull back his emotions.

"I can't do that," he said. "I can't be disloyal to my brothers."

"You won't be," Nightmare reassured. "I am your brother as well. The others will never have to know about this. All I want is my freedom to do as I please."

Nightmare released his grip on Stalker and walked backwards until he was once again standing at the edge of the dock."

"But," the cloaked figure said, "if you must, then kill me right now."

Stalker said nothing again. He looked down towards his pitchfork and then back at Nightmare.

"You wouldn't be able to escape," he said. "The only way you would be able to get away is if The Crimson Hands were not looking for you."

This time, Nightmare was silent.

Slowly Stalker bent down and picked up his pitchfork.

As he did they began to here voices coming towards them.

One was easily recognized as Butcher's voice.

"This way," he said, "we'll get that rat son-of-a-bitch this time."

Stalker looked at Nightmare.

"There is only one way out of this," he said.

Without warning he lunged his pitchfork at Nightmare.

But he did not hit any vital area.

He merely jammed the last point on his pitchfork into Nightmare's shoulder. It wasn't too deep, it didn't cause a very serious injury. All it did was make Nightmare bleed.

The cloaked young man let out s loud groan of pain.

Stalker moved Nightmare slightly so that most of the blood dripped onto the edge of the dock.

Then Stalker whispered, "get out of here. And pray that we don't meet again. For if we do I will have to kill you."

He pulled his pitchfork out of Nightmare's shoulder.

Nightmare looked at Stalker. He nodded to his former brother and fell backwards into the ocean.

Once he landed in the water he swam under the dock so that no one would see him.

Back on top of the dock Stalker stood looking at where Nightmare had fallen.

Soon the other Crimson Hand members came over to him. They had thought he was dead after he had fought Nightmare.

"Stalker," Scarecrow said in surprise. "How did you get here?"

Stalker kept his back to them. "While I was unconscious I saw that Nightmare would come here. I figured I'd greet him when he arrived."

Shamen stepped forward.

"Where is he," he asked, eager to know so he could put Nightmare down for good.

Stalker finally turned back to his brothers. "He's dead."

Shamen cocked his head as if curious.

"I killed him," Stalker lied. 'I stabbed my pitchfork into his neck, and didn't pull it out until he stopped kicking."

An emotion of joy seemed to pass over all killers.

"Where's his body," Shamen asked.

Stalker slid his pitchfork back into its holster. "It fell in the water, and sunk to the bottom. Hopefully it will get eaten up by crabs and minnows. We don't have to worry about him anymore."

Present day

Stalker kept thinking about that night. He thought about it at least two minutes every day.

And he couldn't help but wonder, what if Nightmare was right about Shamen.

His thoughts were interrupted by Shamen's voice.

"Up my children," he said.

Stalker turned and saw their father in the room where the killer's were resting.

Slowly they stirred. However it did not take them long to wake up. It never did.

"We must begin tonight's hunt," Shamen said. "Nightmare and those mutants has already cause us to full behind. We must raise our body count significantly tonight."

Hunter stood to his feet. "What grounds do you have in mind?"

"Now worries," Shamen said. I've heard of an area rich with prey tonight. Strong, healthy, and young."

The dance was coming to a close at the high school. The students continued with their last dance of the evening, and they were trying there best to enjoy every minute of it.

Rogue and Nightmare remained outside. They had danced to a few slow songs, but now Nightmare was talking about the incident with Stalker earlier that evening.

He had to tell Rogue what had happened. There was something the X-Men knew that he didn't.

Rogue's eyes were wide the entire time he spoke.

When he had finished she all she could say was, "Trask is rebuilding the Sentinel?"

"You know what it is," Nightmare asked, "I heard the others mention the name. What were they talking about?"

Rogue took a deep breath. The Sentinel incident was something she didn't want to remember. Now she had to bring that horrible day back into her mind.

"The Sentinel was a robot we fought a long time ago," she said. "It was built specifically to destroy mutants."

She closed her eyes as she pictured the robot again.

"Try to imagine a huge red machine," she said, "with scanners that can detect none human species, built in weapons that could wipe out an entire city block in five minutes, and is almost unstoppable."

"Jesus Christ," was all Nightmare could say.

He then asked Rogue, "how did you defeat it?"

Rogue really did not want to talk about this, but she knew that Nightmare had to know.

"We didn't really win when we fought the machine," she said. "A lot of us were captured."

She turned her head to Nightmare. It was as if he could see the painful memories in her eyes.

"The thing was able to shoot out these strange green blobs. Once they hit their targets they turn solid. What ever is captured in them can't escape."

Her face turned toward the ground and her head sagged.

"Ah was one of the mutants that was captured. The worst part Ah can remember was getting caught in that green stuff. You can still breathe, but as soon as it hardens you can't move. It's like you're made of stone. But you're still aware of everything that's going on around you. And you're just so helpless."

Nightmare listened to these words. He reached his gloved hand to Rogue's face and gently cupped her chin. Then he easily made her face him.

"I won't let that happen to you again," he said.

Not to far away from Rogue and Nightmare, two dark figures hid in the shadows.

Hunter and Butcher watched closely as Nightmare and Rogue talked.

"Well," Butcher said, "isn't this a touching moment?"

Hunter tapped his comrade on the shoulder. "We should let father know about this. With out a doubt Nightmare will surly get involved in our killings."

Within the gymnasium the music had come to an end. The dance was over. The teens didn't want to leave, but they knew they had to soon.

As the teens prepared to depart the door to the gymnasium opened up.

And in walked The Crimson hands.

There was a moment of shock as the students noticed the seven dark figures in the gym.

Kurt, who was over by Amanda, saw the killers and became afraid. If they were here, then something bad was definitely going to happen.

The other X-Men at the dance had the same thought in their heads. Without a doubt someone was going to die tonight.

One of the normal students took a step forward.

"Hey guy, this ain't no costume party," he said, "what the Hell are you doing here."

Shamen did not answer him. He simply looked at Butcher.

Butcher knew exactly what to do.

He took his small knife out of its holster and through it at the boy.

The blade went clean through the air, and stopped in the poor guy's neck. There was no hope for him after that.

The gym was full of screams as The Crimson Hands perused into the crowed of students. The slaughter had begun.

Shamen held his hands to the side as his children started killing teens left and right.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he said, "we will be your hosts for the remainder of the evening."

He then grabbed a young woman who was trying to get to the door, and strangled her to death.

The younger X-Men watched in horror as the students of Bayeville High were being butchered like scared sheep.

The whole gym was in chaos. All the students were running towards the nearest exits.

The doors were jammed with people, making it impossible to escape quickly.

Hunter pulled out his pickaxe and just began swinging it at random people. He didn't care who he was killing, he was enjoying himself.

Butcher had already reclaimed his knife and was now using his sledgehammer to break the ribcages of people who passed him by.

Clowny was tackling students and hitting them repetitively with his meat cleaver.

Wardog and Scarecrow were simply catching random people and slamming them against the ground to beat them to death.

And Stalker was impaling people with his pitchfork.

There were already twenty students dead, and others injured. But there was still more to come.

The younger X-Men did what they could to get as many people out as they were able.

The crowed of people made it impossible for them to get to the killers.

Kitty phased people through the gym wall as the newer recruits used their powers to break through the wall to create more exits.

Kurt however was not going to let these killers get away with what they were doing.

He looked over to Stalker as he had some other defenseless person at the end of his pitchfork.

In a flash, Kurt teleported over to Stalker.

He leapt onto the killer and began using all his strength to keep him down.

"I won't let you hurt any more people," the blue elf said angrily.

Sadly Stalker was stronger than the fuzzy mutant.

He lifted Kurt into he air and slammed him on the ground.

He then put the end of his pitchfork onto the elf's neck.

"You can't stop me from hurting more people," he said. "I know you. You're one of those mutants that's keeping Nightmare safe from us. Well, I can promise you that you can't hid him forever."

Stalker was about to stab his pitchfork into Kurt's neck, but he paused.

He looked down at Kurt. His eyes were closed as he waited for the upcoming pain.

For reasons unknown Stalker took his weapon away from Kurt.

Stalker moved away from the fuzzy elf and continued with the other students.

Kurt stood to his feet. He did not try attacking another Crimson Hand member. Instead he began helping other students get out alive.

Outside Rogue and Nightmare ran to the front door of the gym. They remained hidden so that no one would see them. The two seemed to know exactly what was going on.

The last of the students were finally escaping the slaughter inside. As soon as they were out Nightmare and Rogue ran in.

The inside was a very grim scene. There were corpses all over the place. Very where they looked there was a dead body. The smell of death began to linger in the air.

"Oh mah God," Rogue said.

She was so astounded and afraid that she did not notice the figure coming at Nightmare.

Nightmare was tackled by Shamen. As soon as they were on the ground he began to beat the clocked figure senseless.

Shamen's ability gave him strength that was twice as much as any normal man. He also had very quick reflexes, making him a very difficult opponent.

Rogue tried to run to Nightmare's aid, but the other Crimson Hand members surrounded her, pointing their weapons at her.

"Leave him alone," she demanded.

Hunter shook his head. "We cannot."

Rogue could hear Shamen talk to the cloaked boy.

"You think you're tough huh? Let's see how tuff you are."

As he said that Butcher, Clowny, and Wardog went over to Nightmare, and began to help their father beat him.

Hunter kept his eyes on Rogue.

"We warned our father that you were here," he said.

Rogue kept her eyes on Nightmare.

The other killers backed away from his body. It was limp on the ground, but he was alive.

Shamen bent down and began to take his weapons away.

"Tell me Nightmare," he asked, "do you like hide and seek?"

He threw all Nightmare's weapons away from him. "Well, we're going to play a little game."

Hunter then grabbed a hold of Rogue and moved her towards the others.

All of them gathered around Nightmare.

"What's the matter old friend," Scarecrow asked.

Shamen lifted Nightmare to his feet.

Then all the killers began to push Rogue and Nightmare from one killer to the other.

"We're hunting you down tonight," Butcher said.

"Ready or not," Wardog said.

They all began to laugh, except for Stalker.

"You've got twenty seconds before we come for you," Shamen said.

And so they threw Nightmare and Rogue away from them. And the two did the only thing they could do at the time. Run.

"That's right," Shamen said. "Make it fun for us. Run! RUN!"


	11. Chapter 11

Author's notes: I am so sorry about the late update. School has started for me again, and I've had a lot to deal with. PLEASE FORGIVE ME!

Notes to cat2fat: I should apologies to you the most because you are my most loyal fan. I am so sorry.

Notes to sheisbeatiful-sheisnot me: Yes the story has become a Rogue/Nightmare fic. You see at the begingin of this story I asked if people wanted it as a Romy, or a Roguemare fic. At the time there was only one person reviewing and she liked it to be Roguemare. I hope that's not a problem.

Rogue and Nightmare exited the gymnasium quickly. Luckily all the students that had survived the massacre had moved to the front of the building while waiting for the police.

Nightmare stopped as he began to breathe heavily. That beating had taken a lot out of him. He began to fall to his knees.

Rogue grabbed a hold of him and wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

"Come on," she ordered, "don't get weak on me now."

She began to pull him along as they headed into one of the other school buildings nearby.

As Rogue opened the door The Crimson Hands came out from the gym.

"Keep running," Butcher yelled, "it gives us more pleasure."

Rogue helped Nightmare into the building. They moved to the end of the first hallway. That was when Nightmare stopped.

"We have to split up here," he said.

"What," Rogue blurted out. Now did not seem like the time to split up.

"Trust me," the young killer said. "Hopefully they will all go after me. That will allow you to escape."

"But, what about you," Rogue asked.

Nightmare pulled his arm away from Rogue and stood on his own. "I'll be fine, just get the hell out of here."

As soon as those words passed his lips, the killers all entered the building.

With out further delay Rogue and Nightmare went their separate ways.

Shamen watched as the two split up at the end of the hall. His face turned to anger. There was no way he could allow the Goth or the traitor live.

"Hunter," he called.

Hunter stepped forward with his pickaxe propped up against his shoulder.

Shamen sad, "I want you, Stalker, and Clowny to go after the girl. The rest will hunt down Nightmare with me. I want the girl's head by the end of the night. As for Nightmare, I want him cut into little pieces."

All of his children were in agreement. They moved down to the end of the hall and then split up to track down their prey.

Rogue ran through the empty building, desperately looking for an exit.

Her mind had gone to the other X-Men who were at the dance. Were any of them injured during the slaughter? Were any of them dead?

The Goth knew that if they were alright then they would contact the other X-Men before they did anything else. All she had to do now was stall until they got here. Then it would be a fair fight.

But she was still worried. If the X-Men weren't here soon then surely both Nightmare and she would be as good as dead.

The Crimson Hands seemed more than determined. Out of all the enemies she had fought with the X-Men, none seemed as focused as the murderers.

They seemed to know exactly what their goal was, and knew how they would accomplish it.

Rogue continued running through the building. She knew this particular building well. It was where she took her French class during the school day. And she knew that soon she would come to a door that led to the outside.

If only she had time to get to it.

As she ran she soon felt something hit her in the back. It caused her to loose her footing and fall to the floor.

She looked behind her and saw Hunter standing a few yards behind her.

The killer had seen her running through the hall. And he had thrown his pickaxe at her, hoping to do much damage. Luckily it was the handle that hit Rogue's back.

"Damn," Hunter said, "I've gotten a little sloppy."

Rogue stood to her feet and saw the pickaxe laying on the ground. She picked it up and held it, ready to use it against the killer.

Hunter shook his head.

It was then that Stalker and Clowny came to his side.

"Surely you don't think you stand a chance against us," Hunter asked, as grabbed hold of his chain, and pulled it out from its holster.

Rogue began to shiver slightly. This not something she normally did in front of an enemy, but these killers were no ordinary enemies.

"Stay away from me," Rogue demanded as she held the head of the pickaxe in front of her.

The killers did nothing of the kind.

They began to walk forward, each holding their weapons.

Rogue tightened her grip and repeated, "stay away from me."

Clowny gave his usual insane giggle as he twirled his cleaver in his hands.

__

Pretty little girly, shaking in my view.

Pretty little girly, Clowny's killing you.

Cut her, gut her, make her fears come true.

Pretty little girly, butchered in my view.

Another one of Clowny's twisted rhymes. It sent shivers down Rogue's spine.

She did not want to hear anymore.

With all her strength she swung the pickaxe at Clowny.

It made contact with his shoulder, puncturing it, but Clowny did not react.

He just grabbed the pickaxe, and pulled it away from Rogue.

Hunter laughed what had just happened.

"Come now pretty," he said, "Clowny is immune to pain, I thought you had learned that after our first encounter."

Rogue decided to try another attack, and quickly brought her foot to Hunter's groin.

The killer kneeled down in pain, allowing Rogue to break through the killers again.

As she moved passed Hunter she said, "well, at least you feel pain."

Stalker helped his brother to his feet.

Hunter said angrily, "I want that girl impaled on a spike."

Further into the building, Rogue began to look for a place to hide. She knew very well that the class room doors would be locked. Still she had to find a way to get in to one of them.

At last she found her opportunity.

A fire extinguisher was in a case of the wall. She took it out and smashed open the window on one of the classroom doors.

She reached her hand through the window and unlocked it. And then she paused.

If this door was the only one with a smashed window, those killers would be able to finder her with out delay.

So as fast as she could, Rogue moved to two other classroom doors and smashed those windows open as well.

Then she entered one of them, and hid under the desk, where the teacher would normally sit. The fire extinguisher was placed by her side. It might be of some use later on.

Outside of the classroom the three killers had finally caught up. Hunter paused and looked at the three doors.

His pickaxe was back in his hands, and he wanted to use it very badly.

He turned to his brothers and said, "wait here, make sure she doesn't double back."

Hunter began to walked towards the classrooms. He turned his head to each door, wondering which one to enter first.

At was as if he was not looking, but listening.

Cautiously he entered one of the classrooms.

Rogue hid below the desk, trying to breathe as quietly as she could.

She had heard the door open, and her mind instantly fell into despair.

She listened to Hunter move around the room. The footsteps came closer and closer to where she was hiding.

That was when she heard Hunter's voice. "Perhaps this would be the best time to tell you what my ability is Pretty."

Rogue held her breath when she heard that voice.

"I can hear people's heartbeats," Hunter said, "and yours is as loud as ever."

Rogue's eyes turned wide. And then Hunters pickaxe went through the top of the desk.

The point went right in front of Rogue's face, causing her to scream in surprise.

The Goth grabbed hold of the fire extinguisher, and stood up from under the desk.

Hunter was one the opposite side of the desk. His pickaxe jammed into the wood surface.

Rogue pointed the fire extinguisher at him and sprayed the cooled substance inside at him.

The killer stepped back as his eyes were hit with the freezing essence. He backed away rubbing his eyes with his hands as he moved.

Rogue took the opportunity. She ripped off one of her gloves and reached out towards Hunter.

She slipped her hand under his mask and touched his face.

Hunter could only gasp when he felt the girl's powers kick in.

Rogue's mind became full of Hunter's memories. She saw many people who he had killed. Each death was filled with blood and gore.

After a few moments she let go of Hunter.

The killer fell unconscious to the ground.

Rogue was slightly relieved, but she knew there were still more like Hunter in the building.

"One down," she said, "six more to go."

She walked towards the door, stopping in her steps as she reached for the knob.

"Wait," she said, "what about Stalker and Clowny."

Rogue then remembered what Hunter had told her. She searched her mind for Hunter's power.

When she had found it, she did her best to kick it in.

Then she heard them. Two heartbeats outside the door.

She looked back down at Hunter, knowing very well that she had to protect herself.

Outside of the room Stalker and Clowny waited. Their worry was beginning to grow. There was no scream yet. Surely Hunter would have found the girl by now.

The tension was eased when they saw the door open, but it wasn't Hunter who came out.

Rogue stepped out of the room with Hunter's pickaxe in her right hand and the killer's hook in her left. The chain was draped over her shoulder just incase she needed it.

Stalker looked her over, enraged that she had taken his brother's weapons.

"What have you done to him," he asked.

Rogue kept her hands tight one the weapons. "Let's just say he's down for the night."

Stalker clenched his pitchfork so tightly, that it would have snapped in half if he had the proper strength.

"This is an outrage," he said. "No one has ever laid hands on our weapons. No one was meant to. You little whore."

Rogue dropped the hook so she could get a better grip on the pickaxe.

"Sticks and stones, asshole," she said.

Stalker kept his gaze on Rogue, but he spoke to Clowny.

"Clowny, go fin the others. Tell them that Hunter is wounded and it would be wise to tend to him. I will make sure that this bitch dies."

Clowny nodded and made his way further into the building.

Stalker moved closer to Rogue, wanting so much to jam his pitchfork into her neck.

Rogue felt the same way towards him. She wanted him dead. However there was something in her mind that made her delay in just simply attacking him.

Nightmare. That's what it was in her mind. When she had absorbed Nightmare's memories she must have taken this as well.

She knew that Nightmare did not want to kill Stalker. He could still feel that bond between them. That's why it was always so difficult for them to fight each other. It would be like Rogue having to fight Kurt. She wouldn't be able to.

She knew she had to try something else before she tried to kill him.

"Stalker," she said. "Why the Hell are you doing this?"

"Stop stalling and fight me," he said.

"Not until you clear a few things up," Rogue said. "Ah want to know why the Hell you joined these people? It seems to me that you'd be more at home with Nightmare. Why the Hell would you stick with The Crimson Hands if you still feel like Nightmare's brother."

"Just shut up and fight," was all Stalker said.

"Please Stalker," Rogue said, "Ah have to know."

Stalker kept his grip on his pitchfork. Why did this girl want to talk?

In his mind he should have taken the opportunity to finish her. But something made him not do so.

"Do you have any idea what its like," he said, "to hate where you came from."

"Do you know what it's like living everyday, knowing that you hated your parents. I do."

His voice became full of pain.

"My childhood was Hell. My parents seemed to know what I was before I had even heard of Shamen. And because of that they hated me."

"Every morning I woke up to see them looking at me with hate in their eyes. They felt I was just a burden to them."

"All I ever wanted was for them to love me, but they could never give me that. Every day they would tell me how it would be better if I had not been born."

"So one day I ran. I ran away from them, just to get away from those bastards was all I cared about."

"However I was only a child. I didn't have any food, any water. All I had were the clothes on my back."

"And did anyone take me in? No. I was just another homeless person on the streets to everyone else."

"But Shamen, he found me and he rescued me. If it were not for him I would have died before I had even turned ten years old."

Rogue had listened to his tale. Stalker's parents sort of reminded her of Mystique. She did not truly care about her either. She just wanted her powers.

"Stalker," she said, "Ah do know what it's like to not be loved by your parents. Mah adopted mother didn't care about me either. We both know what that's like. You don't need to hate all mankind because of two people."

Stalker looked into her eyes. Why was this girl acting this way towards him?

"You don't need to be with The Crimson Hands," Rogue said.

The young killer still did not trust this girl. However her words intrigued him.

'"Really," he asked. "And just where am I suppose to go?"

Rogue put down the pickaxe and the chain. She wanted to try and show Stalker that she wasn't the way he thought she was.

"Maybe with us," she said.

Stalker cocked his head to the side.

"Ah know that you don't want to hurt Nightmare," she said. "He told me everything that you told him earlier tonight. Why else would you help us if you still want to be with those killers."

Stalker did not have an answer. He did not know why he had warned Nightmare about what was to come.

He placed the head of his pitchfork down on the ground. Still this did not make him change his mind about Rogue.

"There is no point in trying to change my ways Pretty," he said. "It will only be a matter of time before you are killed by that red metal giant."

"It's called The Sentinel," Rogue stated. "And we have fought it before. After some of us were captured mah friends stopped at nothing to rescue us. Trust me this time around will be no different. If some of us are captured again, we will be rescued."

Stalker shook his head. "Not this time around."

He moved a few steps closer to Rogue.

The Goth began to feel slightly afraid. Stalker still had both his weapons and she had dropped hers.

__

'Why the Hell did Ah have to put down the pickaxe,' she asked herself in her mind.

Stalker spoke. "I saw it. Every one of you was captured by this Sentinel, as you call it. It spared no one in my vision, not even you. But I am afraid that you will not make it to the headquarters alive."

This made Rogue's fear grow. "What do you mean?"

"The people that created the red giant," he continued, "they are going to put an end to your existence Pretty. When all of your team is captured and they begin to load you onto their transporters, they will see that they have room for all the mutants but one. That one is you Pretty. And seeing as they will not permit a mutant to be left behind, they will dispose of you right on the spot."

Rogue stood there in a pit of her own fear. This was a terrible thing to know. She was going to die.

"No," she said, "that can't be possible."

"It is," Stalker said, "being a mutant does not mean you are immortal. Unless certain events do not take place your fate may not come to pass. But until that happens, you are doomed."

"No way," Rogue stated, her voice shaking. "There has got to be a way Ah can change it."

Stalker said more sternly, "if certain events are not changed, then you are going to perish, and there is nothing that you can do."

His killing instincts began to overwhelm

He picked up his pitchfork. "Of course I can change it so you don't have to wait so long."

He pushed his pitchfork forward.

Rogue barely managed to get out of the way.

She grabbed onto the weapon and tried with all her strength to pull it out of Stalker's grasp.

But the killer would not let go.

Rogue knew very well that the only way she could take the weapon was if she cut off her foe's hands.

However there was one other way. She had not replaced her glove after attacking Hunter.

As quickly as she could she slid her hand under Stalker's mask, and once again her powers began to kick in, sucking out Stalker's memories.

And that was when she saw it. Her own death.

All of Trask's men were standing around her. She was incased in the green substance that she had been trapped in once before.

The men had these strange guns in their hands, and were aiming them at her.

"Fire," said the voice of Trask, from only a few feet away. And his men obeyed his orders.

An odd beam of light came out from each of the guns. The substance that surrounded Rogue shattered instantly, but the beams did not stop. Each of them went clear through Rogue, and all she could do was scream, before she fell lifeless to the ground.

This vision was too much for her to bare.

She let go of Stalker and backed away screaming, but unfortunately she did not hold onto Stalker long enough. He was still conscious, even though he was weakened to a huge level.

He could barely even hold up his pitchfork.

His body began to stumble around before he finally fell to his knees.

"How the Hell did you do that," Stalker asked as he began to breathe heavily. "How did you take away my strength by simply touching me?"

Rogue didn't answer. She couldn't. The poor girl was still too shaken up to speak.

However that was the least of her worries now. Soon she felt a cold blade being pushed against her neck.

It was Clowny's cleaver. The killer had returned while Rogue was fighting with Stalker. And he did not come alone.

From behind Stalker, Shamen stepped forward.

When Rogue saw him she could barely breathe.

Shamen stepped over to her and said, "that was very impressive girl."

He reached his hand over to Rogue's face. "What's your secret Pretty. Does your mutant ability give you poisoned flesh, or is it something more."

Still Rogue said nothing. There was no way that she would tell Shamen what her powers were. She did not need some other force of evil wanting to use her.

Shamen however, did not care if he got an answer or not. Now that he had Nightmare's friend then that gave him the upper hand.

"Clowny," he said, "take her back to the others. I will collect Hunter."

He then looked to Stalker. "Can you walk?"

Stalker nodded his head. "I think so."

And with that Shamen went into the room where Hunter was lying, as Clowny began to take Rogue back to his brothers, with Stalker right behind them.

Nightmare began to trash the room that he had entered just a few moments ago. He was looking for anything that he could use for a weapon. So far nothing would do.

In an act of desperation he picked a chair up from a nearby desk. It may not have been the best weapon, but it would have to do.

And so Nightmare stood ready to attack, as he began to hear the voice of Butcher yell, "this way, I thought I heard something coming from one of these rooms.

Nightmare held his ground as he held the chair up.

He was not afraid for his own life, but he was afraid for Rogue.

"I've got to get to Marie before they rip her to shreds," he said.

He tensed himself up, wanting so much to attack the first person that entered the room.

He was completely cut off guard when the bamfing noise came from behind him and the smell of sulfur filled the air.

Nightmare turned around to see the mutant he knew as Kurt standing behind him.

The furry mutant did not notice the cloaked madman at first. When he did notice him he jumped in surprise.

"What are you doing here," Nightmare asked the blue X-Man.

"Looking for you and Rogue, what do you think," Kurt said.

Nightmare only looked at him with confusion.

Kurt explained. "After Kitty and I got everybody out of the building we saw you and Rogue enter. By the time we got inside you were gone."

At least that explained how he knew Nightmare was there.

The young killer then looked down at Kurt's arms. The blue mutant was holding Nightmare's weapons. He must have picked them up when he entered the gymnasium.

Kurt knew what Nightmare was looking at.

"Oh, here," he said, as he handed the weapons to Nightmare.

This made the cloaked young man even more confused. He could have sworn that even though the younger students were not afraid of him, they still didn't trust him with his weapons. But Kurt just gave them to him as if he trusted him completely.

Kurt spoke again. "Kitty contacted the Professor before I started looking for you. The other X-Men should be here soon."

This provided no comfort for Nightmare.

"Well, try contacting them again, and tell them not to come."

Kurt cocked an eyebrow. "Why?"

"I have my reasons," Nightmare said. "You should go find Rogue, and get her out of here."

"Are you crazy," Kurt asked.

Nightmare said forcefully, "yes I am, now go find Rogue, and get the Hell out of here."

"Nightmare," Kurt stated, "look I know we don't know each other very well, and I admit I may have seemed afraid of you before, and I am sorry about that. But it doesn't matter what you think of me now, we're going to help you out."

"Will you shut up," Nightmare said in a whisper, remembering the killers were nearby.

Kurt was about to speak again, but Nightmare slid his weapons back in their holsters and covered the blue mutant's mouth.

Wardog's voice came from outside of the room.

"Do you sense anything Scarecrow," he asked, as the two stood outside the door.

Scarecrow nodded. "Yes. I can sense his life force behind the door And someone there's someone else with him."

Wardog turned to the other killers. "Come on Butcher. It looks like we're going to get some extra killing tonight."

Inside the room Nightmare looked down at the doorknob as it began to turn. He ran for the door and grabbed the knob.

That did not stop the entrance.

Wardog and Scarecrow slammed their shoulders hard into the door, pushing Nightmare back so they could enter.

The cloaked madman looked to Kurt. He had hoped that the boy would teleport away from here, but he didn't. And now he was unarmed.

"Kurt," Nightmare called to the fuzzy elf.

Kurt looked to Nightmare, as the madman tossed his machete to him.

Nightcrawler caught the blade just in time.

Scarecrow came running at him with his gaff swinging madly. Kurt barely managed to block the attack with his borrowed weapon.

Nightmare had it just as tough, if not more, for Butcher had entered the room.

Nightmare was up against him and Wardog.

Butcher was a very difficult adversary. His powers made it impossible for anyone to cut him. He did not have invulnerability, nor was he able to heal instantly, but his powers made it so Nightmare could not cut him.

Still the young madman pulled his axe out of its holster.

And so Butcher and Wardog went in for an attack.

Nightmare dodged Wardog's large machete in time to block Butcher's sledgehammer.

Wardog grabbed hold of his bayonet, now giving him to weapons.

Nightmare pulled out his sickle, and began to block attacks left and right. It was difficult for him to move fast because of the beating he had received only moments ago, but he did his best to ignore the pain.

Kurt was having difficulty as well. He had never fought an enemy like Scarecrow before. Never had he faced a foe that was so bent on killing him. Most of the enemies had had faced had some other objective besides just killing. Death seemed to be the only objective for The Crimson Hands.

Kurt blocked another attach with Nightmare's machete.

Scarecrow took this as an opportunity.

As Kurt blocked the killer's attack Scarecrow pulled the hook on his gaff around the blade and pulled, causing Kurt to lose his grip on his protection.

Scarecrow began swinging his gaff at Kurt.

Kurt jumped and dodged to the best of his ability, but it wasn't good enough.

The gaff went into his ankle, knocking him off balance.

Kurt fell to the ground as Scarecrow raised his gaff to go in for the kill.

From across the room, Nightmare saw what was happening. He ran to Kurt's aid, tackling Scarecrow and slamming him into a wall.

Butcher watched this happen, and then looked to Kurt on the ground.

"Looks like I'll have to take care of this one myself," he said, walking over to the blue mutant on the ground.

Kurt looked up to see Butcher standing over him. The killer had his sledge hammer raised, ready to bash Kurt's face.

Nightcrawler looked about the floor, trying to find anything he could use to defend himself.

That was when the machete passed into his sight.

He bamfed out from under Butcher, grabbing the blade in the process.

Then he reappeared behind the killer, and lifted the machete up, to go in for an attack.

Nightmare saw what Kurt was going to do. He couldn't let it happen.

He ran for the blue mutant and grabbed onto his arm.

"No Kurt," he blurted out, "that will get us all killed."

Kurt struggled with Nightmare. Why wouldn't he let him cut Butcher?

Butcher turned around and swung his sledgehammer at his two foes.

Kurt avoided the attack by transporting both him and Nightmare to a different part of the school.

When he was certain that they were safe, Kurt pulled his hands away from Nightmare.

"What's wrong with you man," he asked, "I could have wounded Butcher and made the fight easier for us, why did you stop me!"

Nightmare said angrily, "because you can't cut him."

Kurt just looked confused.

Nightmare explains. "Butcher's special ability make him very dangerous. If he so much as gets a drop of blood on him, it absorbs into his skin. Then it gives him a major adrenaline rush. He becomes very strong, very fast, and very deadly. And he has no control over it, so he doesn't stop until his blood lust is satisfied."

Kurt looked at Nightmare with eyes wide and then looked down at the machete. If he had cut Butcher then they would have been screwed.

"Holy God," Kurt said.

"If Butcher has to be killed you have to make sure to kill him on the first attack, or else you're as good as dead," Nightmare said.

Kurt nodded showing that he understood.

Unfortunetly the three Crimson Hand members had already discovered where they were.

Kurt did not teleport that far from the room they were just in. It was easy for the three killers to find them.

Nightmare slid his sickle back into its holster and held his axe tightly.

Kurt did the same with his machete.

The three killers rounded the corner and stood in front of their enemies.

"You should have kept running," Wardog said.

"That wont happen," Nightmare stated. "We finish this now. And none of us stop until one of us lies dead."

"With pleasure," Scarecrow said.

The three killers prepared to go in for their attack.

It would have been a bloody battle indeed if the strange red light didn't blast the ground in front of them.

Everyone turned around to where the blast had come from.

Of course it had come from Scott who stood with the other X-Men.

All the X-Men circled around the three killers. They were now outnumbered.

Butcher looked about at each mutant. There was no way they would get out of this.

Nightmare said from outside the circle, "get out of here, this is between me and them."

"No," Storm said from the circle. "Enough have died already. We cannot allow any more."

Scott then spoke. "We're gonna take them to the police. They won't be able to hurt anybody anymore."

Those words struck the three killers hard. They would have rather been killed then forced to rot in a cell.

Logan stepped forward and released his claws.

"Let's go," he said, "nice and easy."

Sadly their plans were changed.

A scream was then heard in the hallway where they were.

Every one knew it instantly.

"Rogue," Kurt said, fearing for his foster sister.

They watched the corner from where the scream had come.

Clowny rounded the corner with Rogue in his grasp. She was still alive, but she had a huge wound on her arm.

Clowny had made the wound in order to get the attention of the X-Men.

His cleaver was pressed up against Rogue's neck so she couldn't move without getting herself killed.

Shamen rounded the corner as well with Hunter and Stalker.

Hunter was conscious now, but he could not walk on his own yet.

Shamen looked at the X-Men circled around his children.

"Let them go," he ordered, "or Clowny here will make your friend's pretty head into a trophy."

The X-Men held their ground for a moment. They did not want to let these killers go, but they also didn't want Rogue to get harmed.

Shamen became impatient. "Clowny, cut off the girls nose so they know I'm serious."

Before Clowny could obey the command Logan spoke up.

"Wait," he called, "don't hurt her."

He looked to the other X-men. He didn't even have to speak in order for them to open the circle.

Butcher, Scarecrow, and Wardog made their way over to Shamen.

As they walked Butcher passed by Nightmare.

The two looked at each other as if they wanted nothing more than to gut the other.

When the three killers made it to their brothers, Shamen looked to Rogue.

He took the pale girl from Clowny and held her in front of him.

He began to stroke one of his clawed fingers against her hair, making her tense.

"We will shed no more blood tonight," Shamen said as he held Rogue, "however we still have business with you."

"Like what," Scott asked, keeping his hand on his visor.

"Simple," Shamen said, "Stalker has had a vision that concerns you and me."

Luckily the other Crimson Hand members didn't know that Stalker had already warned Nightmare about his vision.

Shamen continued. "There will be an ordeal that will come up. A threat in the form of a red giant made of metal."

Scott was about to say that Stalker had already told them, but stopped when he saw Nightmare shake his head.

"If you are captured by this giant you will be killed," Shamen said, 'Stalker has seen that much."

He took a few steps forward moving Rogue along with him.

"We may be different," he said, "but we are still cut from similar cloth. We are hated for what we are. Each of us are given a unique ability, and beaten down for it."

He looked down at Rogue in his grasp.

"I do not ask this of all of you," he said, "only some of you Join with us."

The X-men were in shock when they heard this.

"It has already been seen by Stalker," Shamen said, "that one of you will betray your friends. I think that would be good for whoever it is. You will be with people who truly understand what it is like to be hated by society. You will be treated with respect. And most importantly, you will be safe from the red giant, and be able to get revenge on all those humans that hate you so much."

He then turned Rogue around so she faced him, and took his hands off of her.

"I especially hope it's you who joins us," Shamen said.

Rogue did not speak. She couldn't speak.

"Your abilities," Shamen said, "Are the most impressive I have ever seen. The ability to take away strength by merely touching someone."

Rogue then spoke in a shaky voice, "why should Ah join you?"

"Because," Shamen said, "I can sense you are an outcast to both your friends and humans as well. None understand you. You feel alone with them.

"But with us you don't have to feel that way. You would be respected instead of misunderstood. Appreciated instead of shunned."

Shamen then held out his hand.

"Take my hand," he said, "and be excepted. Go with them, and remain an outcast."

Shamen knew Rogue's weakest points. He knew exactly what to say in order to intrigue her. The X-Men were afraid that Rogue would take the hand.

Shamen than said, "I will only offer you this chance once."

Rogue then lifted her hand, and smacked Shamen's away.

"Ah'd rather be an outcast than sell mah soul," Rogue said.

Shamen became enraged, but chose not to show it.

"Very well," he said, "then the next time we meet, you die."

And with that he left the X-Men alone in the hall, followed by his sons.


End file.
